Tag Archives: Texas

San Antonio, TX – Arson fire at apartment extinguished by sprinkler system

Bexar County fire investigators have arrested a woman for allegedly setting fire to an apartment from which she was being evicted. An arrest warrant affidavit said a neighbor called 911 early Monday morning after noticing water pouring into her home from the apartment upstairs. She also heard fire alarms going off inside her own home. Firefighters arrived a short time later and saw hazy smoke inside that upstairs apartment, located in the 5500 block of Missions Bluffs. Once they entered the unit, they determined that the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. The affidavit said arson investigators later found evidence that someone had intentionally set fire to mattresses in two different bedrooms. It said they also determined that Immanie Rogers, 23, lived alone inside that apartment and was facing eviction. They found her eviction notice on top of one the mattresses that had been set on fire, the affidavit said. Investigators said they obtained surveillance video showing Rogers’ car leaving the property shortly before the fire broke out. She was arrested Tuesday on a charge of arson.

Austin, TX – Fire in trash chute of high rise apartment building contained by sprinkler system

<The> fire last Sunday developed downtown on West 3rd Street at Amli, a hi-rise apartment building.  AFD said the fire began in the first floor parking garage. They believe someone may have thrown a hot item in the trash compactor. Division Chief Thayer Smith said the sprinkler helped prevent the fire from spreading up the building. When fire crews arrived they extinguished what was left of the fire and worked on smoke removal. Residents were able to return to their homes later that day.

“We really got to ask folks you know not dispose of that stuff in the trash compactor because this is the result of what happens when you do that,” Smith said.  The apartment fire was the second hi-rise fire the department has responded to in the last two weeks for someone tossing an improper item down the trash chute. The building sustained minimal damage.

Houston, TX – Fire below concourse level of Toyota Center arena put out by sprinkler system

Arson investigators as of Monday had not determined the cause of a fire over the weekend at the Toyota Center. The Houston Fire Department was alerted to a fire around 8:30 a.m. Sunday in the lower level of the building under the concourse level. When units arrived, the fire was out due to the sprinkler system. The fire was contained to a small area of the facility. The sprinkler system was put back in service and the building is safe to use, according to officials. Officials said there is no structural damage.

Cleburne, TX – Paint booth fire at lighting manufacturer extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Cleburne firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm with water flow at 12:48 p.m. Thursday in the 1700 block of Hal Avenue to find a large amount of smoke exiting the building at low velocity through large roll up doors. One employee advised that the fire was in the building’s paint booth oven area. The building, about 150 foot by 600 foot, is used to manufacture and paint lighting poles and light components, according to reports. Firefighters used about 300 gallons of water but noted that the building’s sprinkler system extinguished much of the fire.

The fire remained contained to the paint booth area and caused no additional damage other than smoke and heat damage to sheet metal at the oven’s entry, according to reports. A highly flammable powder substance had been allowed to build up and get into the duct work, which resulted in a flash fire caused by heat, firefighters said of the fire’s cause. No employees were injured in the fire.

Harris County, TX – (no media coverage) Apartment balcony fire contained by sprinkler system; Assists firefighters with extinguishing blaze

*** FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED – No Media Coverage *** On Sunday, March 18 at approximately 8:17 am, HCFMO was requested by Cy-Fair Fire Department to assist with an apartment fire. Upon arrival, investigators noted the fire was contained to an exterior balcony because of the activation of one sprinkler head. The total loss due to fire and water damage was $5,300, with pre-incident value at $510,000.

Cleburne, TX – Fire in apartment at historic building contained to room of origin by sprinkler system

Cleburne firefighters say that an apartment fire in a historic downtown building was limited to the room of origin thanks to the building’s sprinkler system. That said, firefighters also noted that the building’s sprinkler system appears to be “substandard and poorly installed.”

Firefighters responded at 6:43 p.m. to the 400 block of East Henderson Street on reports of an earlier fire already extinguished. The fire originated in the kitchen of an apartment on the building’s second floor because of a pan of unattended oil on the stove top. The occupants told firefighters they went downstairs to eat but returned to find that the pan of oil had caught fire and spread to the microwave oven and cabinets above the stove, according to reports.

The occupants were unable to shut the sprinkler system off, which resulted in water damage to the kitchen area and the apartment below. Cleburne Assistant Fire Chief Keith Scarbrough said the fire may have caused far more damage but for the sprinkler system.

“Sprinkler systems work,” Scarbrough said. “Statistics from across the U.S. show that they put fires out 97 percent of the time. Of the other 3 percent, 1 percent is because of mechanical failure like weather or freezing temperatures.

“The other 1 percent is because someone turns them off and the last 1 percent is because the fire’s too big for the sprinkler’s capacity. That’s instances where someone originally used the building for offices or something like that and installed a system to handle that but later repurposed the use of the building, like making it a warehouse or paint processing facility and didn’t upgrade the sprinkler system to suit the new purpose.

“But, in my career here, I’ve seen three earlier instances where sprinkler systems almost certainly saved buildings from being lost, two school fires, a manufacturing plant fire and now this fire.

“Sprinkler systems are one of the most effective fire fighting processes available, which is why all businesses and even homes should have them.”

Firefighters responded to an industrial oven fire at 12:38 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of West Industrial Boulevard to find heavy smoke emitting from the roof level of the plant.

Excess materials within the system caused the plant’s industrial ovens to catch fire. Workers on scene extinguished some but not all the fire having to quit because of heavy smoke. Cleburne firefighters completed the task and remained on scene until the ovens cooled sufficiently.

Firefighters responded to reports of a possible house fire at 8:05 p.m. March 2 in the 1700 block of Shawnee Drive.

Homeowners told firefighters they left a pot of chicken unattended on the stove. They turned the stove off and removed the chicken but the incident filled the home with smoke.

Firefighters checked but found no signs of heat or fire in the house. They set fans to clear the house of smoke and made note that the pot contained a burned chicken.

McKinney, TX – Sprinkler activation stops apartment kitchen fire

The McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to a water flow alarm at 3300 N. McDonald St. this afternoon. A cooking fire went out of control, but before it could spread, the fire sprinkler system kicked in. It took one sprinkler head to stop the fire.

FEMA reports more than half of all residential fires are due to cooking. No other risk factor comes close.

Ways to prevent a kitchen fire:

– Never leave cooking food unattended.

– Use a timer so you’ll remember the stove or oven is on.

– Always check the kitchen before leaving the home or going to bed.

– Enforce a ‘kid-free zone” at least three feet from the stove.

– Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen and near sleeping areas.

“Keep your cooking areas clean of grease and clear of flammable clutter like pot holders or food packaging,” said Mike Smith, McKinney Fire Marshal. “A few steps can save you a serious injuries or damage.”

Atascocita, TX – (No Media Coverage) Apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler

*** FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED – No Media Coverage ***
On March 6, HCFMO investigators were requested by Atascociata Fire Department to assist with an apartment fire. Investigators determined a resident tried to move a burning pot of grease outside. When the resident moved the burning pot through the living room, one sprinkler head activated, putting the fire out. Damages: $4,000; Pre-incident value: $20,008,000.

Boerne, TX – (No Media Coverage) Utility room fire at long term care facility contained by single sprinkler head

**NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported ** On 3/2 at approximately 8 am a fire occurred at a long term care facility.  The fire was located in the utility room and was due to a gas fired water heater malfunction.  One sprinkler head activated and contained the fire to the utility room.  Fire loss was under $2500.  Appraised property value is $2.1 million.

Humble, TX – (No Media Coverage) Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by single sprinkler

**NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported ** On Sunday February 25, 2018 investigators reported a sprinkler save at 4475 Wilson RD APT #7306. The tenant was heating up grease to fry food on the electric stove top when the fire occurred. The apartment suffered fire damage to the microwave and kitchen cabinet of each side of it. A single sprinkler head activated and extinguished the fire prior to fire department arrival.

Total Property Damage from Fire/Sprinkler Activation: $7,000
Total Property Value: $306,000