Tag Archives: Arizona

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

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.

Apartment Building, Residential

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.

Department Store, Retail

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.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

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.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

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 evacuate. Neale 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.

Residential, Residential High Rise

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.

Residential, Single Family Home

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. 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire; No injuries reported

A dryer fire broke out on the northeast side, but is now under control. 

The fire occurred at 6900 block of East Tanque Verde Road near Sabino Canyon Road but has been declared under control, Tucson Fire Department says. 

Officials say a large industrial dryer fire set off the sprinklers in the laundry room. No injuries or extended fire damage were reported at the scene. 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at appliance warehouse

Crews have contained a second alarm fire that broke out at an appliance warehouse in Tempe Saturday night.

Fire crews say when they arrived at the building near Hardy and Broadway roads, they found haze coming from the second floor and the building’s sprinkler system had been activated.

The fire was balanced to a first alarm fire due to the size and type of building, but was then balanced to a second alarm after a Mayday situation was activated.

During the attack, two firefighters became disoriented which prompted the Mayday situation.

Officials say both of the firefighters were quickly located, uninjured and doing okay.

Tempe fire officials say over 100 firefighters were on the scene from Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Guadalupe to help battle the fire.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes stove fire at University Towers

One person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a small kitchen fire broke out at the University Towers student housing complex Tuesday evening, according to Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department spokesperson Brandon Siebert. 

The occupant who was injured suffered smoke inhalation and other minor injuries after falling while evacuating the building. Another person was evaluated by paramedics on scene but declined any further care, Siebert said.

Three people were temporarily displaced by the fire: two people from the unit that caught fire on the second floor, and one in the unit below, which sustained water damage, Siebert said.

The fire started after a frying pan with cooking oil was left on the stove unattended, Siebert said. The building’s automatic fire sprinkler system extinguished the flames and prevented the fire from spreading to other apartments.

University Towers is located at 525 S. Forest Ave. in Tempe.