Tag Archives: Arizona

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for attic fire at senior living center; No injuries reported

Residents with mobility issues had to be carried from the upper floors of a Midtown senior living facility after a fire in the attic space disabled the elevators.

Tucson Fire crews were dispatched to the facility in the 1500 block of East River Road at 9:35 a.m. for reports of smoke coming from an attic space, according to a social media post from TFD.

The fire was under control by 9:53 a.m. No residents were injured. A maintenance worker was transported from the scene with a medical issue unrelated to the fire, the post said.

Several residents were carried from the facility. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading, but the water caused significant damage to more than a dozen units, the post said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Surprise, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Surprise Fire-Medical Department and Arizona Fire and Medical Authority crews responded to a fire at a senior living facility Saturday evening.

Crews were sent to Kingswood Place, a senior living facility near Bell Road and Parkview Place, where a small fire had broken out in a bedroom. Sprinkler systems were able to keep the majority of the fire at bay as firefighters arrived, according to Surprise Battalion Chief Larry Subervi, a spokesperson for the department.

About 25 residents were displaced during the fire, but after an hour all were able to return to the building. Four residents were not able to return to their rooms due to damages from the fire or the sprinkler system. They were relocated to different rooms at the facility.

A medical treatment center was set up for residents during the fire for heat-related complaints, but no residents were significantly injured, according to the department.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation.

Kingswood Place could not be reached for comment.

Prescott, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Ninety people are without a home after a fire broke out at a Prescott senior living community on Friday evening.

Around 6 p.m., crews were called about fire and smoke that was reported from a third-story apartment at the Prescott Lakes Senior Living Apartments near Prescott Lakes Parkway and Highway 89. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm due to the building’s size and number of residents inside.

The Prescott Police Department was the first on the scene and saved the resident in the apartment and those in nearby units. Fire crews soon arrived and quickly accessed the apartment on fire. With help from the fire sprinkler system, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the complex.

Some residents evacuated; however, others could not leave their apartments and were told to shelter in place by the fire personnel after it was determined they were not in danger. A Prescott police officer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One resident fainted after being evacuated and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. No other injuries were reported.

Prescott Fire says there was extensive water damage from the sprinklers and fire personnel on all three floors, including an electrical room that powers half of the complex. Therefore, fire officials, the City of Prescott Building Department and utility companies determined it was unsafe for residents to return to their apartments, leaving 90 people and several pets displaced.

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross has arranged a temporary shelter at the Humboldt Unified School District Offices in Prescott Valley. Around 11 residents have chosen to stay at the shelter, while many others are staying with family, friends, and at hotels. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Prescott Fire says the outcome would’ve been different if the sprinkler system were not in place. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, buildings with fire sprinkler systems successfully confine fire spread to the room of origin 95% of the time, compared to 71% of properties without.

Phoenix, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for electric vehicle fire in warehouse

An autonomous electric vehicle caught fire at a Waymo warehouse in south Phoenix on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

All employees had safely evacuated the building by the time firefighters responded to the scene near Buckeye Road and Third Street around 8:30 a.m., the Phoenix Fire Department said.

Capt. Todd Keller told KTAR News 92.3 FM the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“I can tell you that the sprinkler system did a fabulous job preventing the fire from extending to the building, which allowed our firefighters to go in and assist with the extinguishment of the fire,” Keller said.

“Because these battery’s cells store a high amount of energy in such a small amount of space … once one of these cells goes, it’s extremely difficult to put out.”

After the fire was extinguished, the vehicle was put in a Phoenix Streets Department environmental dumpster to be taken for proper recycling.

Keller said the Waymo facility is used to service the company’s self-driving vehicles.

“They bring the electric vehicles to the Waymo warehouse and equip them. They download the software, they get all the cameras ready and get them ready for the road,” he said.

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at apartment complex

The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to an apartment fire, only to find that a fire sprinkler head had extinguished the fire.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at approximately 6:17pm at Cielo Verde Apartments, near the Walmart on S. Avenue 8E.

After responding to a fire alarm, YFD confirmed that the fire sprinkler head had activated and put out the fire near the stove.

YFD also said that there were two people inside the apartment and both were able to safely evacuate the apartment. Additionally, they said that the cause of the fire started when a pan was left on the stove.

Fortunately, the fire damage was minimal due to the fire sprinkler head, according to YFD.

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at J.C. Penney store; No injuries reported

The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) says a J.C. Penney store caught fire, damaging a storage room but was extinguished by its sprinkler system.

After 4 p.m. on September 1, an alarm went off at a J.C. Penny on Yuma Palms Parkway.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw the building being evacuated and smoke coming from a shoe department storage room.

The sprinkler system extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported, according to YFD.

Fire damage was contained within the storage room and water damage was seen in other parts of the building.

YFD says the store was closed but will reopen after clean-up and repairs are done.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Bullhead City, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at condominium; No injuries reported

On Tuesday evening, April 19, 2022, at approximately 6:07 PM, several BCFD units were dispatched to a report of a possible structure fire on the 200 block of Moser Ave. The first arriving crew reported a multi-story condominium with smoke showing out of a single unit. Crews quickly confirmed that the unit was unoccupied and were able to gain access through the front door. Fortunately, the building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, which properly activated, contained, and extinguished the fire before it was able to spread. No injuries were reported during this incident, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.

Firefighters attribute the working automatic sprinkler system to saving lives and property. Due to the location of this fire, it could have extended into the living spaces of the surrounding units, causing extensive damage.

Phoenix, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes 10th floor fire in university dorm

Students living in the Taylor Place Residential Community on the Downtown Phoenix campus woke up to an alarm and sprinklers early Saturday morning after a fire broke out in one of the dorm rooms on the 10th floor of tower one.

The fire was caused by an electrical surge in the dorm room, which activated the water sprinkler system, according to an emailed statement from University spokesperson, Jerry Gonzalez. All residents were told to evacuate the towers and wait outside until it was safe to return.

The sprinklers “promptly extinguished the fire” and all residents evacuated the building safely, Gonzalez said.

Mary Neale, a freshman studying sports journalism who lives on the 11th floor, said she heard people running down the hallways knocking on doors, alerting residents to evacuateNeale said students rushed down the stairs and waited outside Taylor Place while the authorities cleared the fire.

Due to flooding caused by the sprinklers, students living on the 10th floor have been relocated to the Downtown Phoenix Hampton Inn until their rooms have been completely restored. Gonzalez said in the statement there are about 30 students staying in the off-campus lodging. While there is no exact timeline for when students will be able to return to their rooms, University housing will notify them when the rooms are ready.

Gonzalez said the University is currently drying the impacted rooms and will be working with other students who were affected by the water sprinklers and will help them replace items that were damaged.

Michael and Anthony Yero, both freshman sports journalism students, were the occupants of the room that caught on fire. Michael Yero said authorities told him that his electrical razor was plugged into an outlet and caused a surge. One of the sparks fell onto a towel, which ignited and spread to his laundry.

“Its been a couple of days just figuring out what I can do and managing school and work at the same time,” Michael Yero said. “It’s been a busy couple of days trying to get back to normal.”

Michael Yero said the fire from the surge and water from the sprinklers damaged much of his and his brother’s belongings including a laptop, camera, camera lenses and clothes. But even with the damages and having to move, Michael said that throughout the experience he and his brother have “tried to look at the good side of things.”

He said that even when they learned it was their room that was affected by the fire, they were and continue to get through by supporting each other and doing what they can do to move forward. 

“When we first heard it was our room we looked at each other and we said that we are there for each other and have each others’ backs,” Michael said. “We’re supportive of each other throughout the whole way.”

According to Michael Yero, the University provided him and his brother gift cards for essentials and will provide a stipend to replace their damaged items. He said that despite not being in his dorm, living in the Hampton Inn has been a “great time” and it has provided him the opportunity to spend more time with his friends.

“ASU has been been very helpful,” Michael Yero said. “(The University) team did a great job in responding to the situation. They were very kind in giving money to help us out and accompany us and comfort us. They did a great job.

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high-rise apartment building; No injuries reported

About 200 residents had to be evacuated Sunday night after a fire sparked at a high-rise building in Tempe.

Firefighters responded to the scene at a residential building near 6th Street and Mill Avenue.

The fire was quickly upgraded to a 3rd-alarm fire which prompted more crews to respond. At one point, we’re told 250 firefighters were on the scene from six different cities.

Fire officials say it started when a fire sparked in a 9th-floor unit. It caused the sprinkler system to go off which contained the flames to a single unit.

The was water damage on the 9th, 8th, and 7th floors. A total of 5 units were displaced.

Sometime after midnight residents were allowed to reenter their homes.

Details of what sparked the fire haven’t been released.

There were no injuries reported.

Clarkdale, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for garage fire; No injuries reported

Sunday night, Verde Valley Fire responded to a garage fire in the 600-block of King Copper Road in Clarkdale. Chief Danny Johnson says the home owner had placed hot ashes into their garbage can earlier in the day and then put the can into the garage. The can caught fire shortly after and activated the sprinkler system, which controlled the spread of the fire. Johnson says crews extinguished the fire and limited further spread. Everyone is reminded to place hot ashes into a metal container away from combustibles, soak it in water for a day, and dispose of it once it’s cold and out. No injuries were reported. 

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