All posts by viking210

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system credited with extinguishing deck fire at apartment complex

Madison firefighters are blaming a cigarette for causing a fire on an eastside apartment deck over the weekend.

A water flow alarm went off just before 6:45 p.m. Saturday at 1 Wind Stone Drive, according to Madison Fire Department.

Firefighters reported discovering a fire sprinkler going off on a four-floor deck when they arrived, as well as a fire on deck directly below.

A deck chair and siding to the building were damaged in the fire, MFD said.

Crews believe a cigarette not properly thrown away was to blame for the fire.

Firefighters credited the sprinkler for putting the fire out quickly. No one was displaced.

Apartment Building, Residential

Magnolia, TX – Kitchen fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Even before 911 was called, a single fire sprinkler stopped what could have been a dangerous apartment fire in Montgomery County Sunday evening. Magnolia Firefighters were dispatched to a water flow alarm at the Villages of Magnolia apartments on FM 2978 shortly after 8pm. After the alarm sounded, additional calls to 911 reported a smell of smoke in one of the buildings.

The first fire crews were on scene within minutes and quickly located the source of the smell, an extinguished kitchen fire. The stove had been left on unattended, igniting a fire that spread to the kitchen cabinets above. Just as the fire was about to breach the ceiling and spread throughout the building, the heat activated a nearby fire sprinkler and stopped the fire in its tracks. After making sure the fire was fully extinguished, Firefighters shut the water off to the fire sprinkler and began the clean-up process.

Fire damage was limited to the stove and the kitchen cabinets, and although the residents of that apartment will be temporarily displaced, the fire did not spread to the other units and there were no injuries reported. Had it not been for the building’s fire sprinkler system, this incident could have had a very different outcome.

THE IMPACT OF FIRE SPRINKLERS ON APARTMENT FIRE DEATHS AND INJURIES

It is estimated that about 25 percent of the U.S. population resides in apartment or multi-family buildings. Overall, apartment fire deaths and injuries have declined during the past five decades, but they have continued to be the second-leading occupancy for fire deaths and injuries (behind one- and two-family dwelling fires). Since the late 1980s or early 1990s, most new apartment buildings have installed residential fire sprinkler protection. While the number of apartment fires has remained fairly steady over the past thirty years, fire deaths and injuries have declined. Fire sprinkler systems have played a large role in the reduction of deaths and injuries in these types of buildings.

Deaths from apartment fires has been declining from an average of 840 per year in the 1980s to an average of about 375 per year (2013-2022). Injuries from apartment fires, however, continued to climb into the 1990s before gradually declining.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Cadiz, KY – Fire extinguished by sprinkler system at assisted living facility; No injuries reported

A fire caused the evacuation of an assisted living facility on Shelby Street in Cadiz on Sunday afternoon.

Cadiz firefighters say the fire was contained to one patient’s room at Better Senior Living and was extinguished by their sprinkler system.

The building was evacuated by staff before firefighters arrived.

No one was injured, firefighters say, they are waiting for fire Marshalls to investigate.

Apartment Building, Residential

Amarillo, TX – Sprinkler system contains dryer fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

The Amarillo Fire Department responded to a fire at apartments on south Coulter Saturday night.

The fire, reported at 6:18 PM, originated from a dryer inside an apartment unit.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered that the apartment’s automatic sprinkler system had effectively contained the fire before it could spread further.

According to the Amarillo Fire Department (AFD), crews conducted searches of the unit, ventilated the apartment, and assisted the occupant in retrieving personal belongings.

Firefighters also replaced the activated sprinkler head, restored the system, and worked to remove standing water from the apartment.

AFD says a total of “10 suppression units and 34 personnel responded” to the incident, which lasted approximately 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Estimated damages include $20,000 in property loss and $50,000 in content loss.

Fortunately, no injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Aurora, CO – Sprinkler system activated for morning fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A Thursday morning apartment fire in southwest Aurora left two adults and two children without a home, according to the city’s fire department.

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm in the 1300 block of Florence Street at about 11:00 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from Aurora Fire Rescue.

Several people called 911 to report smoke coming from inside the three-story apartment building, fire officials said.

As firefighters searched the building, they rescued a dog hiding in one of the rooms and returned the uninjured animal to its owner, according to the agency.

The fire sparked in the kitchen of an apartment and was mostly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, Aurora fire officials said. Crews got the remaining flames under control in about 10 minutes.

The flames did not spread into the neighboring units, according to Aurora Fire Rescue.

No one was injured, but two adults, two children and a dog were displaced by the fire, agency officials said. The cause remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hillsboro, OR – Sprinkler system activated for cooking fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A cooking fire sent smoke seeping through a Hillsboro apartment building and displaced four residents from two units Monday, Sept. 15, according to local fire officials.

At 1:51 p.m., multiple people called 911 after spotting smoke coming from a second-story unit in the 2000 block of Northeast John Olsen Avenue. Smoke alarms inside the unit and throughout the building rang out as residents funneled into the parking lot.

Hillsboro Fire & Rescue personnel said they received reports that the building’s fire sprinkler system had activated, prompting them to upgrade the incident to a first-alarm response to bring in additional resources.

When crews arrived, they discovered an extinguished blaze in a kitchen but heavy smoke filling the apartment and shared hallway. The sprinklers had also triggered water damage, flooding the unit directly below.

Firefighters searched all three floors of the building to ensure everyone was evacuated before working to clear smoke and remove excess water.

A Hillsboro fire investigator responded to the scene and determined the fire was unintentionally started while cooking.

No injuries were reported, though two residents were evaluated at the scene.

Two adults were displaced from the unit where the fire began, and two others were impacted from the apartment below due to water damage. A dog was also temporarily displaced.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, AMR Ambulance, Hillsboro’s public works department and the Hillsboro Public Safety Chaplains assisted at the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kansas City, MO – Sprinkler system activated for overnight fire at apartment complex

One woman was taken to the hospital for moderate smoke inhalation after an overnight fire, according to the Overland Park Fire Department.

Firefighters were called just after 1 a.m. Tuesday to the Corbin Greens Apartments at 140th and Russell Street.

Crews said a kitchen fire on the second floor of the three-story apartment building had been held in check by a working sprinkler system.

The blaze was quickly extinguished in about 10 minutes.

Firefighters carried an adult female from the second-floor landing.

She was taken to the hospital with moderate smoke inhalation as a precaution.

The fire was contained to one apartment, and residents were allowed to reoccupy the remaining units.

While the fire is believed to have been a cooking fire, the exact cause is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Cloud, MN – Sprinkler system controls kitchen fire at apartment building

Unattended cooking appears to be the cause of a fire Sunday morning in St. Cloud.

According to a critical incident report from the fire department, they responded to an alarm at 9:20 at an apartment on the 4000 block of 12th Street North. They arrived to find a sprinkler controlled fire in a kitchen. Firefighters put out the rest of the flames and helped the person evacuate.

The Red Cross also responded to assist the resident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashua, NH – Sprinkler system contains blaze at apartment building; No injuries reported

A fire sprinkler system helped contain a fire at an apartment building Sunday afternoon in Nashua, limiting damage and preventing injuries, city fire officials said.

Nashua Fire Rescue responded to Arel Manor at 165 Pine St. just after 2 p.m. after receiving an automatic alarm from the building’s fire detection system, according to Deputy Chief Kevin Kerrigan, who was incident commander.

Engine 2 crews arriving from the Lake Street station found signs of sprinkler activation on the third floor. Engine 4 crews from Crown Hill station located the fire in a third-floor apartment. The fire was being suppressed by the building’s sprinkler system, officials said.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the remaining flames using hose lines. Fire crews remained on scene for more than an hour conducting salvage operations and clearing smoke from the building, according to a news release.

Two residents were displaced by the fire. The affected section sustained smoke and water damage, while apartments on lower floors received water damage from the sprinkler system, officials said.

The American Red Cross responded to assist displaced residents. No injuries were reported.

The Nashua Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. In all, 30 Nashua Fire Rescue personnel responded with four engines, two ladder trucks and support vehicles. Merrimack Fire provided station coverage during the response.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Sidney, OH – Fire at Quality Inn contained to one room by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire at the Quality Inn at 1959 W. Michigan St. in Sidney on Wednesday around 6:48 a.m. caused approximately $60,000 in damage.

According to a news release from the Sidney Department of Fire and Emergency Services, when crews arrived, they saw moderate smoke and fire showing from a second-floor window on the southwest wing of the hotel. The fire was contained to one room by the sprinkler system and was quickly located and extinguished.

There were no reported injuries to civilians or fire personnel. The cause of the fire is undetermined and still under investigation.

Sidney police officers assisted with the evacuation of the building and crowd control. Off-duty personnel were called in along with the Fort Loramie, Houston, Port Jefferson and Kettlersville fire departments. The Salvation Army was placed on standby.