Tag Archives: North Carolina

Asheville, NC – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at shopping center outlet; No injuries reported

Asheville Fire Department had several crews at Asheville Outlets on Wednesday night, Jan. 11, 2023.

About six fire engines could be seen in the shopping center parking lot, where an alarm could be heard and firefighters could be seen heading to the roof.

Asheville Fire Department said the fire happened in a storage room near Restoration Hardware just before 11 p.m.

Officials tell News 13 that the sprinkler system put out the fire and no other businesses were damaged other than possible smoke damage.

No one was injured in the fire.

Fayetteville, NC – Sprinkler system activated for fire at nursing home; No injuries reported

The Fayetteville Fire Department battled a fire at Autumn Care of Fayetteville nursing home Sunday night.

The first units arrived around 11:30 p.m and found a fire located in a room on the 400 hall of the facility.

Thirteen residents were forced out of their rooms while six others sheltered in place.

The facility’s sprinkler system had contained the fire to a single room, through the Fayetteville Fire Department said the fire did extend to the exterior of the building.

Crews were able to extenguish the fire, which officials with the department said was caused by a mounted heater.

Cape Fear Valley EMS is assessing residents of the facility, though no injuries have been reported.

Durham, NC – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment building

A senior citizen was rescued from an apartment fire Tuesday night.

Firefighters responded to the senior apartment building, The Veranda at Whitted School, located at 200 East Umstead St., around 10:15 p.m.

A neighbor met firefighters to tell them an apartment was on fire.

The crew entered a smoke-filled apartment and rescued one resident inside a bedroom. The resident was in good condition but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Firefighters said an unattended hot stove may have caused the fire. A sprinkler system helped extinguished the fire, but there was water damage in the apartment and in a daycare located below.

If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop, officials warned, saying cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries.

Asheville, NC – Sprinkler system keeps building fire in check; No injuries reported

Asheville FD says a sprinkler system helped contain a fire that broke out Friday morning at a building along College Street.

AFD reported in a Facebook post on Saturday more details about the fire. The department said the fire was caused by people who had lit combustibles to keep warm, and was located in the floor between the 2nd and 3rd floor. The sprinkler system cut on and kept it in that area.

Crews did not report any injuries.

Whiteville, NC – Fire sprinklers contain fire started by electric wheelchair

A lifesaving rescue was carried out by firefighters Saturday night. The Whiteville Fire Department was called out to the Covey Reserve Apartments and were able to save a man from dying.

Captain Kyle McDaniel was one of the firemen on the call.

“We searched each room and JD made contact with him and roused him up,” said McDaniel. “That’s when we realized we had a victim in the room.”

McDaniel said they weren’t able to see their hands in front of their face; that’s how much smoke had filled the apartment.

However, it could’ve been a lot worse if the sprinkler system didn’t go off.

“95-percent of the fire was out when we made entry,” said McDaniel.

The cause of the fire was an electric wheelchair. It belonged to Stacey Todd, who was asleep in the next room.

“Oh man, I tell you what. It’s a scary thing; it’s scary,” said Todd. “But things happen in life, sometimes you can’t help it.”

Todd says he lost everything in the fire, losses that come particularly hard this time of year with the holidays just around the corner.

But he is keeping his spirits up.

“I thank God; that’s all I know,” said Todd. “Because I didn’t know anything. I want to thank the fire department because if they wouldn’t have come, I wouldn’t be here.”

For Captain McDaniel, he says being able to save a life just gives him more reason to do what he loves.

And as for Stacey Todd he’s staying in a motel until he can find some place else to stay or his apartment gets restored.

Wake Forest, NC – Sprinkler system contains fire at retirement community; No injuries reported

Multiple people were forced to evacuate after a fire at a Wake Forest retirement community.

Town of Wake Forest officials say the fire broke out at The Lodge at Wake Forest located on 1151 S. Main St. Firefighters say it started in a unit on the ground floor just after 8 p.m. Thursday night.

Officials say the sprinkler system in the facility contained most of the fire before firefighters extinguished the rest.

Between six and nine units suffered smoke damage, officials say.

A resident who evacuated told CBS 17 that she heard the fire alarms go off, but didn’t think anything of it because of recent false alarms. She says when she went to check on her neighbor, she saw smoke and flames.

“She tried to push her button, we all wear buttons around here. She could raise anybody so I called 911…. the smoke had got down to maybe about hip level, the smoke was that far down and thick I couldn’t breathe, I was coughing. So I just came back in and shut the door and went outside,” said Sheila Brantley.

Officials say there were no serious injuries and nobody had to be taken to the hospital.

Brevard, NC – Assisted living facility laundry room fire contained thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Fire crews spent their early morning tackling a fire that broke out in a Brevard assisted living facility’s laundry room early Sunday morning.

A press release posted by Connestee Fire Rescue to Facebook on Saturday said crews responded to The Cedar Mountain House facility on Sherwood Ridge Road at 4:20 a.m., responding to a reported structure fire. Within minutes, CFR says they were on scene, with facility staff already in the process of evacuating residents. CFR said the working fire was within the laundry wing of the facility, and that crew members did additional searches of the facility to ensure all residents and staff were out safely.

Just before 4:30 a.m., fire suppression efforts began, and the sprinkler system activated. CFR notes this kept the fire contained to a commercial gas dryer in the room, and helped CFR personnel in putting out the flames.

35 residents were evacuated with help from other departments. Those departments also helped with salvage and overhaul operations. Fire, Rescue, EMS, and Emergency Management personnel aided with patient care and resident assistance throughout the incident.

While the residents were going to be moved to a different facility, fire personnel and building maintenance removed a large amount of water from the facility, along with removing smoke from the first floor of the structure. The sprinkler system was back online, and residents were able to be moved back in.

CFR and the Transylvania County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated, and believe an unknown issue with the dryer caused the fire. For now, The Cedar Mountain House will not be able to use the laundry wing until repairs are made. 

No injuries were reported. 

Agencies that provided mutual aid included City of Brevard Fire Department, Cedar Mountain Fire Rescue, Rosman Fire Rescue, Little River Fire Department, North Transylvania Fire Department, Transylvania County Rescue Squad, Transylvania County EMS, Transylvania County Emergency Management, Transylvania County Fire Marshals Office, Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Transylvania County Code Enforcement and Transylvania County Department of Public Health. Asheville Fire Rescue and Prisma Health EMS were on standby with multi-patient transport ambulance busses if residents needed to be taken to another facility.

Chapel Hill, NC – Sprinkler system contains apartment grease fire

The Chapel Hill Fire Department responded at 5:22 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, to an automatic fire alarm at 201 S. Elliott Road, the Berkshire Chapel Hill Apartments.

A resident was cooking when grease in a pot on the stove ignited. The fire triggered the sprinkler system and automatic fire alarm. The resident was treated at the scene by Orange County EMS.

The response consisted of 11 fire personnel from Chapel Hill on two Engines, one Ladder, and two Battalion Chiefs. Chapel Hill Police assisted with scene safety and security.

Chapel Hill, NC – Kitchen fire at senior living facility controlled by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A structure fire damaged a Chapel Hill senior living facility Tuesday night and displaced several residents.

According to a release from the town, the Chapel Hill Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at The Cedars of Chapel Hill at 6:03 p.m. When fire personnel arrived on the scene, 513 Cedar Berry Lane, they confirmed a working fire on the building’s first floor.

The fire, which originated in the kitchen of one of the residential units, was under control as of 6:23 p.m. The town said it caused damage to three additional units beyond the originating one, with eight total residents displaced. The residents of the unit where the fire originated were treated on the scene and did not need to be transported for additional treatment, according to Tuesday’s release. No other injuries were reported.

A sprinkler system in the senior living facility reportedly kicked into action with the start of the fire. While the sprinklers did not extinguish the fire, according to the town’s release, officials believed it gave residents time to safely evacuate.

Chapel Hill said the personnel response to The Cedars consisted of 23 Chapel Hill firefighters, including four engines. One Durham fire engine with three firefighters also responded as automatic aid.

The town’s release said the cause of the fire is under investigation, but it also gave advice on safety practices while in the kitchen. Chapel Hill Fire officials say it’s important to never leave stoves unattended and to keep flammable items away from stove units.

Staff for The Cedars will work with the displaced residents to find alternate living arrangements, according to Tuesday’s release.