On Saturday, March 18, units from the Maitland Fire Rescue responded to Lake Shadow Circle in the Visconti neighborhood after reports of a fire.
According to officials, the fire broke out in the kitchen and quickly triggered the interior sprinkler system.
The sprinkler system contained the fire to the interior kitchen area.
No injuries were reported by authorities.
Around 10:30 p.m., Saturday deputy state fire marshals responded to the 9200 block of Misting Court after the owner believed his son had set a fire.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office told the arriving investigators that the homeowner had been having issues with his son, 21-year-old Jordan Christopher Robinson, over the past few days and that he asked Robinson to leave the house earlier in the day.
At around 8 p.m., the homeowner received an alert on his phone for his home security cameras, where he saw Robinson enter the home, authorities said.
“He returned home and discovered Robinson had left the house and the remains of a fire inside his bedroom that the fire sprinklers had extinguished,” deputies said in a news release. Investigators credit the sprinkler system containing the fire and minimizing damage to around $6,000.
Officials said Robinson was arrested Sunday morning and was taken to a local hospital for injuries he had sustained earlier in an altercation with a family member.
After being released from the hospital, deputies said Robinson was transported to Charles County Detention Center, where he was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, home invasion, and malicious destruction of property over $1,000.
One of the three occupants called 911 shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday after discovering the fire inside a bedroom at the home in the 200 block of Independence Drive, prompting area volunteer fire companies to respond, fire officials said. A smoke alarm inside that home had sounded an alert, allowing that resident to make the discovery, fire officials added.
“Upon arrival, the fire department determined the fire had been extinguished with one fire sprinkler that had activated,” an MOSFM spokesperson said, naming Singerly Volunteer Fire Company of Elkton as one of the volunteer fire companies that responded.
During their on-scene investigation, MOSFM detectives determined that a “malfunctioning oscillating fan” had triggered the blaze and then listed accidental as the cause of the fire, the spokesperson reported.
No one was injured and damage to the home was “limited to an estimated $10,000,” according to the spokesperson, who commented, “The investigation determined that the activation of only one automatic fire sprinkler prevented the fire from spreading from the bedroom into the remainder of the home.”
The spokesperson further reported that relatives are providing temporary assistance to the residents, whom he identified as one adult and two children, ages 15 and 8.
In the wake of Sunday morning’s house fire, State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci issued this statement: “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries and protect property and valuables. The best home fire safety practice is combining a smoke alarm, an escape plan, and a residential fire sprinkler. Today we saw the effects of this winning combination.”
Under state law, a residential fire sprinkler is required in all new one-family and two-family homes in Maryland, MOSFM officials said. In addition, Maryland law prohibits local governments from “weakening the sprinkler requirement in their jurisdiction’s building codes,” they added.
Streamwood fire crews responded to the home on Moraine Court around 5 p.m. but found only light smoke coming from a basement window, according to a news release.
Officials said the fire was extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system so the damage to the home was minimal. Upon inspection, officials determined the fire had been started by a lithium battery pack that malfunctioned while being charged, the release said.
The village of Streamwood has required fire sprinklers installed in all new homes since 2002.
Fortunately, the home was equipped with a sprinkler system and the fire was extinguished before fire crews arrived.
According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety at about 11:45 a.m. Monday, Alpharetta firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire on Calypso Drive. As crews arrived on scene and made contact with the homeowner, they found that one of the residents had placed a power strip on top of a blanket on the couch, located on the second level of the townhome.
The resident had then gone downstairs to check on the food in the oven and, in the time that they were gone, the blanket and then the couch caught on fire.
The heat from the flames activated the fire sprinklers directly above the couch and extinguished the fire before fire crews arrived on scene.
Firefighters confirmed that the fire was out and made sure that the fire had not extended to other areas.
No injuries were reported from the incident. Smoke was evacuated from the structure and firefighters performed salvage and overhaul to reduce water damage from the fire sprinkler activation.
According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, in homes equipped with fire sprinkler systems, 97% of house fires never leave the room of origin.
Fallston Volunteer Fire Company and mutual-aid departments were dispatched at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday for a reported dwelling in the 2000-block of Arden Drive after the owner, who was outside at the time, heard a smoke alarm sounding. Upon arrival, the fire department discovered a fire in the kitchen with one activated fire sprinkler.
Fire investigators concluded the fire started in the kitchen, and the cause was accidental due to an unattended candle. The investigation determined that the activation of only one automatic fire sprinkler prevented the fire from spreading from the kitchen into the remainder of the home. Damage was limited to an estimated $20,000, and no injuries were reported.
State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci stated, “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries and protect property and valuables. The best home fire safety practice is combining a smoke alarm, an escape plan, and a residential fire sprinkler. Today we saw the effects of this winning combination;”.
Maryland requires a residential fire sprinkler in all new one- or two-family homes across the state. Maryland law also prohibits local governments from weakening the sprinkler requirement in their jurisdiction’s building codes.
The Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services responded to a kitchen fire in the 1500 block of Rambling Way South at about 9 a.m., according to posts on the division’s social media. The American Red Cross came to assist three adults and three children, but the fire marshal determined the house was still livable after firefighters extinguished the flames. There were no injuries.
The home’s sprinkler system reportedly contained the fire.
Firefighting crews were dispatched at 4:37 a.m. to Lugo Lane near Saratoga Avenue, where they found smoke filling a garage that had been converted to living space, according to Napa Fire spokesperson Matt Colburn. A firefighter used a circular saw to cut a hole in the garage door, which was disabled and could not be rolled open.
A sprinkler system contained the flames to the garage, and firefighters stayed at the scene for about 2 ½ hours putting out remaining hot spots in walls, Colburn said.
A person in the garage area heard an alarm sound and notified other residents, and all were able to leave the home uninjured, according to Colburn.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Monday’s residential fire was the second in the city to be contained by sprinklers in less than 24 hours, according to Napa Fire. Shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday, a sprinkler system helped put out flames inside an apartment at a senior housing center in the 1400 block of Redwood Road, although the resulting water flow forced about 10 other units to be vacated.
Dispatchers received a 911 call from the alarm company reporting a 1st floor smoke detector sounding. Less than 2 minutes later, the resident called 911 reporting the house was on fire.
The assignment was then upgraded to a structure fire, bringing firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, and Hollywood to the scene.
Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with smoke showing.
Upon further investigation, firefighters located and extinguished a small fire in a closet.
Firefighters checked for extensions and searched the residence which yielded negative results.
The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal responded to the scene to continue the investigation.
Preliminary investigation revealed the residents were alerted to the fire by the smoke detectors in the home, the resident discovered the fire and called 911.
Officials want to continue the importance of citizens replacing smoke detectors yearly and making sure they work properly. The smoke detectors and residential sprinkler system were both present and activated, with the sprinkler system controlling the fire until the arrival of fire department personnel.
The owner is identified as Ronald Flowers, with the estimated loss of structure and contents valued at $11,000.00
No injuries were reported.
The American Red Cross was requested for three adults and one child.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Southern Regional Office, at 443-550-6831.
