Category Archives: Townhouse / Condominium

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Park Ridge, IL – Single sprinkler head limits damage to condo; No injuries reported

Installation of sprinkler systems made a significant difference in containing a fire last weekend in a multi-family building at the Park Ridge Pointe subdivision, Park Ridge Fire Chief Jeff Sorensen says.

A fire alarm activated at 1705 Pavilion Way at 11:33 p.m. Friday (Sept. 6) and as Park Ridge firefighters responded, the RED Center was receiving calls of smoke in the ground level parking garage and on the third floor of the building.

One company, checking the garage, found a burning odor and water leaking through the ceiling.

Other companies went to the second floor and entered the residential unit above the garage ceiling leak. Inside there was a burning odor and smoky haze, Sorensen said, but there was no fire there or any active sprinkler heads releasing water.

The unit next door had water, and they found a bathroom fire there had been extinguished.

“The fire sprinkler system had activated (only one sprinkler head) and had prevented the fire from spreading throughout the structure,” Sorensen said. “Most importantly, no residents or fire personnel were injured.

“The successful activation of a fire sprinkler system limited the damage to the structure and its contents,” he added.

“While the fire sprinklers are designed with fire safety in mind, they typically use a fraction of the water that fire hoses do in order to contain a fire, thus protecting property as well. Since 2001, fire sprinklers have been a requirement in all new construction in Park Ridge, including single-family homes,” Sorensen added.

For information on residential fire sprinklers, visit the website www.firesprinklerassoc.org.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Yuma, AZ – Condominium garage fire kept from spreading by fire sprinkler head; No injuries reported

On Wednesday August 28, 2019, at about 4:50 am, smoke was reported in a garage at a residence in the Eldorado Condominiums, 2239 South 35th Avenue. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived to find a sprinkler head had activated in the garage and water was flowing. The water flow was stopped and it was found that a fire appeared to have been extinguished. Firefighters confirmed the fire was out and had not spread.

Firefighters located the area in the garage where the fire had originated and found what was left of a radio controlled car. The car was on an office type chair and had been left charging. Damage was limited to the radio controlled car and the chair. The chair had been directly under the sprinkler head and would have activated early in the fire. The homeowner had been home at the time the fire occurred and was able to reoccupy the residence. There were no injuries.

Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fires spread quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex. Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Whitman, MA – (no media coverage) Sprinkler system extinguishes garage fire caused by cigarette

Chief Timothy J. Grenno reports that the Whitman Fire Department
extinguished a fire inside a condominium garage Monday morning.

At approximately 11:10 a.m., Whitman firefighters were dispatched to 877 Auburnville Way, inside the Village at Auburnville community for residents age 55 and older.

Upon arrival firefighters located a fire inside of the garage with the sprinkler system suppressing the flames and keeping the fire from spreading rapidly throughout the building.

Firefighters quickly used a hose line to extinguish the fire and overhauled the area to ensure that the flames had not spread elsewhere.

A female resident, who is wheelchair bound, had been evacuated by her home health aide to the first floor porch and was then moved from the porch away from the home by bystanders and responding firefighters. The woman was uninjured but was evaluated by a Halifax Fire ambulance crew on scene as a precaution.

The fire and smoke caused approximately $50,000 in damage to the garage. The home itself had minimal smoke and odor damage.

The resident will be able to return to her home once the fire alarm and sprinkler system is repaired, which is expected to be done today.


The incident was the second fire that Whitman firefighters responded to recently in which a sprinkler system helped to prevent potentially devastating damage. On July 24, the department extinguished a fire at the Bostonian Loft Apartments, 7 Marble St.


“The unit where this fire occurred was one of four attached condos in same building,” Chief Grenno said. “If it weren’t for the sprinkler system suppressing the fire until we arrived, the fire could have spread far more quickly and done a lot more damage. This is the second fire we’ve had in less than a month where a sprinkler system helped to keep a fire at bay until firefighters could arrive on scene. Having a properly functioning and regularly maintained sprinkler system can and does save lives.”


The fire was caused by careless disposal of a cigarette into a trash barrel in the garage.

View full press release here

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lawrenceburg, IN – Fire sprinkler system keeps balcony fire to a minimum

A fire broke out at a Lawrenceburg condominium building Monday morning.

The fire was reported at 304 West Wind Lane at Riviera Condominiums at 5:05 a.m. Police arrived at the scene first and found fire visible on the second floor of an exterior balcony.

Lawrenceburg Fire Department Chief Johnnie Tremain said the fire’s spread was held at bay by an exterior sprinkler. Firefighters came and knocked down the remaining fire.

All residents of the complex were safely evacuated. Nobody was hurt, Tremain said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Lawrenceburg Fire Department was assisted at the scene by Lawrenceburg EMS, Lawrenceburg Police, and Greendale Fire Department.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Madison, WI – Overnight fire caused by electric bike controlled by fire sprinklers

A fire that broke out in a garage overnight was contained by an automatic fire sprinkler until firefighters arrived to bring the fire to a complete stop.

Engine Company 14 and other fire companies were dispatched to a condominium complex on Catalina Parkway just after midnight. One resident greeted firefighters and advised that an electric bike was on fire in the garage. The remainder of the building was evacuated as firefighters proceeded to the basement. They found the sprinkler system had the fire under control, and only a small amount of smoke had entered the living space within the complex. Crews extinguished the remaining fire and stopped the automatic sprinkler system.

Investigation determined the homeowner had left the e-bike on a charger for the night, the battery on the bike started on fire, which activated the sprinkler system. Fire damage was isolated to the bike, with slight damage to a workbench nearby.

The owner advised that the electric portion of the e-bike was an aftermarket kit they had purchased on eBay.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lake Delton, WI – Automatic sprinkler system completely puts out fire at Kalahari condo; No injuries reported

Authorities say no one was hurt after a kitchen fire started inside a resort condo unit.

According to Delton Fire Department, firefighters found the Kalahari Resort condo full of smoke when they arrived around 6 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone had gotten out safely.

Fire officials say automatic sprinklers were able to put the fire out completely. Firefighters used fans to remove smoke and helped clean up the water.

A teenager left the room while cooking on the stove and forgot to turn the burner off, according to investigators.

Someone else inside the condo woke up to flames in the kitchen and saw the sprinklers turn on right away. Officials describe it as a volatile grease fire.

The condos had to be evacuated for about 45 minutes but the Kalahari is still open for business.

In a Facebook post Sunday night, fire officials say this incident is an example of the importance of functioning sprinkler systems.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Frisco, CO – Condo fire quickly put out with help of fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Six residents have been displaced following a structure fire at a condo complex in Frisco on Friday morning, according to Summit Fire & EMS.

Summit Fire chief Jeff Berino said that a structure fire broke out on the 500 block of Galena Street in Frisco at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday. About 24 firefighters from both Summit Fire and the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District responded to the incident. The blaze was put out quickly by the firefighters, with help from the building’s sprinkler system, and crews cleared the scene by 12:45 p.m.

Berino said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation, though it has been determined that there was no criminal involvement. One unit suffered moderate smoke and fire damage, and two other units suffered smoke and water damage. No injuries were reported.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Palatine, IL – No injuries in condominium fire extinguished by automatic sprinkler system

No injuries resulted from a fire at a downtown Palatine condominium, authorities said. Officials said the fire, reported at 2:43 p.m. Thursday, occurred in a fifth-floor unit in the 200 block of Smith Street. An automatic fire sprinkler system extinguished the fire and limited damage to the master bedroom, closet and bathroom. The cause was determined to be accidental.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lake Zurich, IL – (no media coverage) Townhouse fire that extinguished by single sprinkler

*** No Media Coverage – Fire Department Reported *** The Lake Zurich Fire Department responded to the 000 block of Lakeview Place in Lake Zurich for a reported structure fire. The first fire department units arrived on the scene within four minutes and received reports of a fire in the upper-level bedroom of a 3-story townhome. The first engine company advanced a hose line into the home to extinguish the fire and found a single sprinkler head from the installed automatic fire sprinkler system extinguished the fire. Fire crews then conducted salvage, overhaul operations, and began a preliminary cause and origin investigation. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There was a preliminary damage estimate of $25,000 with an estimated $350,000 in property and contents saved. One occupant was transported to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in stable condition with burns. There were no reports of firefighter injuries.

Lake Zurich received assistance from the following departments: Barrington, Fox River Grove, Long Grove, Countryside, Wauconda, and Wheeling. The Lake Zurich Fire Department would like to remind residents to install working smoke detectors, make an escape plan and “practice” it, and consider installing an automatic fire-sprinkler system. Fire-related safety information is located on our Facebook page or by calling the Fire Prevention Bureau at (847) 540-5073.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Aberdeen, MD – Arson fire at town home contained to basement area by sprinkler system

Investigators are looking for information from the community about fires that were set at two adjoining townhouses early Friday afternoon.  Firefighters from the Abingdon Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding companies were dispatched at 12:16 p.m. for a dwelling fire after a passerby observed smoke coming from 503 Cool Breeze Circle in the Holly Woods development off of Philadelphia Road, according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.  When they arrived, firefighters encountered a fire that had been contained to the basement because the fire sprinklers activated, according to the release.  They also found that one or more people had forced their way into the home.

While investigating the fire at 503 Cool Breeze Circle, firefighters noticed that one or more people had also forced their way into 501 Cool Breeze Circle, where they found multiple points of origin of a fire within the home.  With these observations, the Office of the State Fire Marshal was requested to the scene.  Investigators determined the fire within 503 Cool Breeze Circle, which was occupied at the time of the fire by owners Richard and Elizabeth Dubose, was intentionally set and was contained to the basement after fire sprinklers activated.

They also concluded the multiple fires at 501 Cool Breeze Circle, owned by Nicole Tavenier, which was vacant and for sale, were also incendiary. Those fires had self-extinguished and did not produce the required heat to activate the fire sprinkler system.  Twenty-five firefighters assisted in the one-alarm fire in 503 Cool Breeze Circle. No injuries were reported and investigators estimate total damage to both homes at about $25,000.  Anyone living in the community, or who may have been passing by at the time of the fires, is asked to contact the fire marshal’s office with any information about these incidents.