Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Miami, FL – Sprinklers help stop fire on 10th floor of off-campus apartment building

Hundreds of Florida International University students were evacuated from an apartment building near campus early Thursday morning after a fire broke out while someone was cooking.

Witnesses told Local 10 News that a grease fire sparked the flames on the 10th floor of 109 Tower along Southwest 109th Avenue at Seventh Street after midnight. Much of the floor was damaged by fire and other parts of the building suffered water damage from the sprinkler system.

No one was injured, but many residents stayed up all night searching for a place to sleep.

“That’s what I’m doing right now,” one student told Local 10 News. “I’m about to go hike to go sleep on a couch.”

Jaime Zapata, who lives in the off-campus housing, told Local 10 News that students were told to pack their bags and plan to be out of the building for two days. Many of them left the building without identification and were worried because they have finals to study for and take.

“They’ve had us out here since about 2 or 3 in the morning, telling us that we can’t go back inside because it’s not safe,” student Analee Wharton said.

Susan Jennings, vice president of EdR Collegiate Housing, which owns the apartment building, said the majority of students have been allowed to return to their rooms. She said the students who lived in the apartment where the fire occurred and near the apartment have been put up in a hotel by the company.

According to Jennings, the sprinkler system was activated for about 20 minutes after the fire broke out.

FIU authorities said 109 Tower resumed normal operations Tuesday night.

Apartment Building, Residential

Appalachia, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fifth floor apartment fire

The Appalachia Fire Department responded to the apartment complex, located at 505 West Main Street, when a fire alarm sounded around 12:24 Saturday afternoon.  Fire Chief Robert Anderson Jr. says the fire started in an apartment on the fifth floor due to an occupant smoking while on oxygen. He tells us the sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire.

Apartments from the fifth floor to the second floor suffered water and smoke damage. Those residents were evacuated to Appalachia High School gymnasium where they are being assisted by the Red Cross.  Anderson told us a contractor was on scene working to clean up the damages.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wilmington, NC – No one hurt in Thanksgiving day apartment fire controlled by sprinkler system

Fire officials were on the scene of an apartment fire in Wilmington on Thanksgiving Day.  It happened on Litchfield Way on Thursday afternoon shortly before 2.

Authorities say an apartment on the third floor caught fire while at least one person was home, but no one was hurt. That apartment is a total loss, while other nearby units suffered water damage from the sprinkler system.  There is no word yet on what caused the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Manchester, NH – Sprinkler system controls apartment fire started by careless disposal of cigarette

The careless disposal of smoking materials sparked a trash can fire that caused an estimated $7,500 in damage to a West Side apartment building Thursday, authorities said. Fire crews discovered smoke and water coming from under a closed door to Apartment 346 at The Lofts at Mill West, 195 McGregor St., just before 7 p.m., according to the fire department. Firefighters discovered a fire in a trash can in an unoccupied apartment. The automatic sprinkler system held the fire in check until firefighters extinguished the remaining flames. The resident who lived there was in another section of the building at the time, authorities said. Smoke was beginning to fill the corridors and people were evacuating the building. Brady Sullivan Properties owns the building, which recently had been refurbished into upscale apartments.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Williamson, WV – No injuries in overnight nursing home fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

The Williamson Fire Department (WPD) responded to an emergency call at Trinity Health Care in East Williamson after a faulty wire in a heating unit triggered an alarm.  The cause of the problem was revealed to be in one of the heating units.  A wire had melted and caused the unit to over-heat, according to the WFD report.

The call came in around 2:00 a.m. Lt. Stephen Casey of the Williamson Fire Department was assisted by the Williamson Police Department (WPD), the Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) and Elite Ambulance service.  Williamson Fire Chief Joey Carey said, “The staff worked along with us to make ensure the residents safety. They had an emergency plan in place and they did a good job following procedure.”

Upon arrival, firefighters noticed minor smoke. A quick investigation revealed no fire but the smell of heated electrical equipment indicated the source of the problem, according to WFD Chief Joey Carey.  Firefighters ventilated the area. The WPD, CVFD firefighters, and Trinity Health Care staff worked together to evacuate residence to a safe area.

No medical incidents were reported and residents were moved back to their rooms within 45 minutes, according to Carey. “It could have been a lot worse,” Carey said. He credited the fire walls and sprinkler system in the attic of the facility with keeping the structure and residents within safe. The firewalls separate sections in the building and isolate any potential problems, according to Carey.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Triangle, VA – Townhouse fire put out by automatic sprinkler system; No injuries

On Sunday, November 22nd, at approximately 9:30 p.m., fire and rescue crews were dispatched to a townhouse fire located in the 4100 block of Potomac Highlands Circle in Triangle.

Upon arrival, fire and rescue units observed light smoke throughout the residence and activation of the sprinkler system that had suppressed and extinguished a fire within the garage area. PWL Firefighters searched for further extension; no further extension was found.  No injuries reported.

Preliminary damages are estimated at $2500; damages would have been considerably higher if not for activation of the sprinkler system which quickly controlled, contained and extinguished the fire.

According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, the area of origin was the garage; the cause improper disposal of charcoal bricks and has been determined accidental.

Prince William County Fire & Rescue Chief Kevin McGee would like to remind residents when disposing of fire pit/fireplace bricks/ashes keep these safety tips in mind:

In addition, Chief McGee would like to remind residents that smoke alarms save lives www.pwcgov.org/SmokeAlarms and when a home contains both working smoke alarms and a home fire-sprinkler system www.pwcgov.org/Sprinklers, you increase your chances of surviving a fire by 82%.

Apartment Building, Residential

Stoughton, MA – Sprinklers credited with averting potential disaster in fire at 60-unit apartment complex

A sprinkler system in a 60-plus unit apartment complex is credited with averting what could have been a disaster, the fire chief said. About noon Monday, firefighters received an alarm for The Lodge at Stoughton, which is an apartment complex on Technology Center Drive near the Randolph line.When firefighters arrived, they found staff helping to evacuate the building and smoke inside the first floor, said interim Fire Chief Gregory Goldberg. When firefighters opened the first-floor unit’s door, there was heavy smoke, but the fire was extinguished by sprinklers in the room, Goldberg said.“It was a grease fire on a stove that got going pretty good,” he said. “But it ended up all right because the sprinkler system kept it at bay.” The four-story building has more than 60 units, Goldberg said.“It could have been a major disaster,” he said. “Fire alarms save lives, and sprinklers save lives and buildings.” The woman who lives in the apartment got out safely with a friend who was inside at the time.She is being assisted by the Red Cross, as her apartment sustained smoke and major water damage. A unit next door sustained minor water damage.“When we got in, it was completely extinguished,” Goldberg said. “The fire didn’t extend through the ceiling. The sprinkler took care of it.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Shreveport, LA – Sprinkler system activates in apartment fire caused by cigarette dropped down trash chute

Residents of Fairmont Towers in the 700 block of Cotton Street were able to return to their apartments after smoke forced them from the building early Sunday morning.  The fire was reported at approximately 8:21 Sunday morning after the sprinkler system in the apartment building went off.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find smoke through the building.  Occupants of the downtown Shreveport apartment building were evacuated shortly after firefighters arrived.

One person was treated on the scene from smoke inhalation.  Firefighters believe the cause of the fire to be a cigarette dropped down the trash chute within the building. This has yet to be confirmed by investigators.

Residential, Single Family Home

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading in single-family home

A house fire in the 4700 block of east Starflower street was extinguished quickly and without incident. Rural Metro Dire Dept. says that a quick response time, successful tactics and a well maintained sprinkler system played a significant role in snuffing out the house fire.

The fire is said to have started in the kitchen and thanks to the sprinklers it was contained there.  The prevention department of Rural Metro fire says that this situation goes to show that checking smoke detectors and other preventative methods can help immensely. 

As of now the investigation is ongoing, the cause of the fire is unknown and there is no information as to cost of the damage.