Apartment Building, Residential Peoria, AZ – Apartment kitchen fire controlled by single automatic sprinkler; No injuries reported November 23, 2015 viking210 Peoria firefighters said a sprinkler system in an apartment prevented a stove fire from causing more damage than it did. Peoria-Fire Medical crews responded to a fire at approximately 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the Rancho Del Sol Apartments. Crews found a home filled with smoke and a stove fire being controlled by a single fire sprinkler head. The fire damaged the stove and microwave with some damage to the cabinets and drywall, officials said, and there was also water damage from the sprinkler head. The homeowner said a pan of oil on the stove was unattended for less than a minute. “This fire . . . could have been significantly worse without the presence of a fire sprinkler system,” Peoria-Fire Medical officials stated in a release. “Flames from a grease fire can quickly spread and engulf a kitchen. In this case, the fire was being controlled by the sprinkler system until fire crews could arrive.” Everyone was able to evacuate safely with no injuries, officials said. According to fire investigator Mike Brune, a similar stove fire in a Peoria apartment complex without sprinklers did significantly more damage and left the apartment Fire crews stayed on scene to clear away the standing water so that the homeowner could get back in the home more quickly. “With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is an important reminder that kitchen fires are the No. 1 cause of home fires. Always stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stove, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby,” the release stated.
