Tag Archives: Texas

Residential, Residential High Rise

Houston, TX – Sprinkler system activated for high-rise apartment building fire; No injuries reported

WHAT: High-rise apartment building fire

WHEN: November 9, 2021 at 11:27 a.m.

WHERE: 7575 Bellaire, 77036

INJURIES: No reported injuries.

PROPERTY SAVED: $45 thousand in estimated property saved.

DAMAGE: $5 thousand in estimated damage.

CAUSE: Unintentional – heat source too close to combustible.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Firefighters arrived on scene within six minutes to find a fire near a trash chute in the maintenance area on the sixth floor of a high-rise apartment building. Paper goods were placed near an electrical plug which appeared to have started the fire. The fire was kept in-check by a fire sprinkler head until HFD arrived on scene. Firefighters from Stations 21, 28, 68, 83, 10, 60, 73, 51, 37 and 57 responded to this incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

College Station, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; NO injuries reported

Residents in three units of a College Station apartment complex were relocated following a fire Monday afternoon.

College Station fire investigators found an electric skateboard battery that blew up while it was being charged.

CSFD responding to a smoke detector alert at The Zone complex found sprinklers had turned on and kept the fire from going full blown.

Firefighters found on the third floor heavy smoke and arcing electrical equipment that was shut down.

No one was injured, and the damage came from water from the sprinkler system.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wylie, TX – Fire at apartment building contained by sprinkler system

An apartment building in Wylie is damaged after a fire on Wednesday morning.

According to the Wylie Fire Department, the incident occurred at 1315 West Brown Street at approximately 4:10 a.m.

Officials said a three story apartment building had smoke showing on the third floor.

The sprinkler system was able to suppress the blaze before firefighters could arrive on the scene, officials said.

According to officials, cats were evacuated from the third floor unit, and the second floor unit sustained water damage.

Officials said the attic and roof were unharmed.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

The Woodlands, TX – Commercial dryer fire at fitness center controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

At approximately 8:30pm on September 10th, 2021, South Montgomery County Firefighters (Montgomery County ESD #8), were dispatched to reports of a fire alarm at the L.A. Fitness Signature Club located at 3570 Harmony Commons Drive. The first Fire Engine arrived in just minutes, reporting smoke in the building and a water flow alarm. The crew entered the building and determined that a fire had broken out in a commercial dryer in the club’s laundry room, but that a single fire sprinkler head had activated and controlled the fire before it could spread.

At the time of the fire, approximately 50 customers and employees were in the building when the fire started. Although the fire started in the un-occupied laundry room, they were able to escape unharmed when the alarm sounded.

The building’s fire sprinkler system was installed in 2018 by Interactive Fire Control Inc and inspected by MCESD 8 Fire Inspectors working hand in hand with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office. The MCFMO and MCESD #8 work together under an inter-local agreement to enforce the County Fire Code and insure the safety of residents and visitors.

The Montgomery County Commissioner’s Court first adopted a County-wide Fire Code in 2008 after a series of commercial fires damaged or destroyed several businesses in our community. Since that time, MCFMO personnel have reviewed building plans on over 100 million square feet of new construction projects and along with our partners, conduct thousands of inspections annually.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Corpus Christi, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at paper company

Firefighters were called out to the Gulf Coast Paper Company Warehouse around 6:45 p.m. Sunday after several reports made to 911.

Fire crews saw smoke coming from the building when they arrived at the scene and quickly made their way inside.

“With this being a paper company with a fire of that magnitude certainly the lead time between fire and smoke it certainly could’ve gotten a whole lot worse there’s a lot of fire load inside and the sprinkler system certainly saved the day today,” said Battalion Chief David Saenz.  

The building has some water and fire damage, and officials say they will be investigating the actual cause of that blaze.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wichita Falls, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

A two-alarm fire broke out early Friday in a Wichita Falls apartment complex that caters to Midwestern State  University students.

According to Wichita Falls Fire Depart assistant fire marshal Jared Burchett:

The alarm at Mustang Village, 5005 Lake Park Drive, came in shortly before 1:30 a.m. Firefighters received a report multiple people were trapped with some jumping from windows to escape.

The first fire trucks on the scene reported smoke coming from one of the buildings. Firefighters ran hoses and began rescuing multiple people from the burning structure.

It was discovered most of the fire damage was to an exterior potion of a storage area located in a corridor of a stairwell. The fire appeared to have spread along some plastic siding, through the stairwell and up to the third floor. Burchett said residents attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers and the building’s sprinkler system was activated.

AMR medics evacuated multiple people at the scene, but no one was transported to the hospital. A man and woman were seen being treated for what appeared to be smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross was called to assist 13 people affected by the fire. 

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Frisco, TX – Fire at senior living community contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Frisco Fire Department on Monday announced an investigation into a fire that started in an apartment at the Watermere at Frisco independent senior living community, located at 4220 Cotton Gin Road.

The fire was contained in the apartment of origin due to the activation of the fire sprinkler system, the department stated. Dispatch was alerted by the alarm company of a ‘water flow’ alarm at 9:36 a.m. Sunday. The first unit arrived three minutes later. Frisco Fire responded with two engines, one ladder truck, and one battalion chief on the initial assignment due to it being an alarm investigation in a specialty risk structure, the department stated.

During the investigation by the first arriving unit, smoke was found in the building.

Additional units were requested as a working fire was declared. The fire, located in an apartment on the second floor, was kept small and not allowed to grow as rapidly due to the fire sprinklers that had activated when the fire began, the department stated. A total of 15 units and 35 personnel were dispatched to the fire. Eight units and 22 personnel were used to help mitigate the incident.

No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Utilities to the apartments damaged by fire or water have been shut off. Watermere a Frisco is a four-story independent senior living community.

Apartment Building, Residential

Temple, TX – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Temple Fire & Rescue responded to a fire that almost displaced a family this Wednesday morning, July 21.

At 3:27 a.m. Temple Fire & Rescue dispatched to an apartment complex located on 2012 S. 31st St.

Three residents occupied the apartment, 2 adults and a child, and 16 personnel arrived on the scene along with The Temple Police Department and Temple EMS.

It was determined that the unit’s sprinkler system had extinguished the blaze. Additional apartment units received water damage from the sprinkler system as well.

Investigation revealed that the fire began with an unattended candle, and the fire department issued a warning on candle safety:

• Always keep a burning candle within sight.
• Keep candles away from anything combustible.
• Put candles out of reach of children.

“Fortunately, this situation did not result in further harm to anyone inside the home,” Public Information Officer Santos Soto said.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Austin, TX – Sprinkler system extinguishes restaurant kitchen fire

Austin Fire Department’s latest station is officially in service as of noon Sunday.

AFD says its Fire Station 51, located at 5410 Highway 290, will serve citizens in the Travis Country and Sunset Valley areas of southwest Austin.

Firefighters from Station 51 also responded to their first fire Sunday, which was in the kitchen of the CK Thai Cuisine located at 5207 Brodie Lane.

Structure fire 5207 Brodie Lane, small fire in kitchen of CK Thai Cuisine was extinguished by sprinkler system. Crews mitigating smoke and water. The inaugural run for brand new Station 51 in Sunset Valley.

This is the second of five new high priority Fire-EMS stations approved by Austin City Council. The first opened last year for Del Valle and southeast Austin.

When construction started in 2019, AFD told KXAN response times to most calls in that area fell between 13 and 14 minutes, considerably slower than its goal of eight minutes.

The plan was to keep people and property safe, and also reduce insurance rates.

In 2018, a report found 175 homeowners were at risk or had already seen their rates rise as much as $1,000 because they lived more than five miles from a fire station.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Laredo, TX – Sprinkler system activated for suspected arson fire at hotel

Arson is suspected in a fire reported at a local hotel, according to the Laredo Fire Department.

LFD crews responded to a structure fire at about 3:26 a.m. on June 1 at the Amerik Suites in the 6500 Block of Metro Court. Firefighters said they encountered an active fire on the first floor bathroom and the west wing hallway.

First responders said the fire activated the sprinkler system, causing flooding to the affected area. There was minimal fire damage to the building, according to first responders.

The building was evacuated at the time of the incident. A fire watch was initiated until the sprinkler system was reactivated. Crews turned over the building to hotel management.

LFD officials are investigating the fire as a possible arson. To provide information on the case, call 795-2800 or Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). Information provided via Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.