Apartment Building, Residential Cheyenne, WY – Apartment kitchen fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries July 28, 2016 viking210 A fire in a three story, multi-unit apartment complex in the 300 block of Montalto Drive Monday morning was short-lived because of an installed sprinkler system, said Chief Darrick Mittlestadt of Laramie County Fire District 1. When firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 8:40AM they noticed that the apartment complex was evacuated and water coming out of a first floor apartment. When firefighters went inside the apartment they found light smoke and a sprinkler head in the kitchen area activated. The fire was out when firefighters made their way into the kitchen. According to investigators, an occupant of the apartment was cooking oil in a pan on the stove. The stove was unattended when the oil caught fire and started to burn the cabinet directly above the stove. The heat from the fire caused the sprinkler head in the kitchen to activate. The damage was limited to the kitchen area. Firefighters said properly working smoke alarms and that the quick action of the sprinkler system limited the damage to the residence and prevented injury to the occupant. Damage was estimated at $1,000. LCFD #1 wants to remind everyone the importance of working smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. You should test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries twice a year, when you change your clocks. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
