Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

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Officials said an apartment fire was extinguished by a single fire sprinkler before crews arrived Friday evening.

Crews with the Charleston Fire Department were called to the Element at Carolina Bay Apartments just before 7 p.m. after automatic sprinklers were activated, Deputy Chief Michael Julazadeh said.

Firefighters arrived to find an extinguished fire in one of the apartments in the three-story building. Julazadeh said the fire was suppressed by a single fire sprinkler head.

Investigators with the Fire Marshal’s Office were called to review the incident. They said the fire started on a mattress in a bedroom of the unoccupied apartment. Remains of an electric blanket in the debris.

The cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported at the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Caribou, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

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A fire was quickly put out in an apartment building in Caribou. On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 12:22 a.m., the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department was dispatched to a fire alarm at Hilltop Apartments, located at 19 Marshall Avenue in Caribou. According to the Caribou Fire Department, while crews were responding, multiple 911 calls were received from tenants reporting smoke and fire in a hallway.

Initial crews arrived to find smoke conditions in one wing of the building and an activated sprinkler head. A partial evacuation was already underway, and firefighters immediately completed evacuation of the remaining residents. The fire was determined to be out prior to fire department arrival due to the sprinkler activation and the quick actions of a resident who used a fire extinguisher. The source of the fire was identified as a malfunctioned battery powered string lights device, located in a decorative item in the hallway.

A total of 36 residents were displaced from their apartments. The Caribou Fire Department says the area of origin sustained extensive water damage as a result of the sprinkler activation. RSU 39 provided a heated school bus for affected residents to remain warm during below-zero temperatures until fire department operations were completed.

The Caribou Fire Department says properly working smoke detectors and sprinkler systems played a critical role in preventing the fire from spreading beyond its area of origin.

Assistance was provided by the Caribou Police Department, the Caribou School Department and the Presque Isle Fire Department for providing station coverage during the incident.

Apartment Building, Residential

Harborcreek Township, PA – Apartment fire quickly stopped by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

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A sprinkler system helped stop a fire quickly this morning in Harborcreek Township. Fire crews responded around 9 a.m. to an apartment in the 1100 block of Arnerman Court.

The fire was contained to a bedroom thanks to the apartment’s sprinkler system. No one was hurt, but a few residents are displaced, and the Red Cross is helping.

The fire chief reminds everyone to take extra precautions during cold weather to help firefighters respond quickly and safely.

James Hawryliw Fire Chief and EMT at Fairfield Hose Company VFD stated, “Always make sure your fire hydrants are clear of snow, so that when we arrive, if we need to access that hydrant, and also have a plan for this cold of weather.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Sioux city, IA – Sprinkler system quickly extinguished fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Sioux City Fire Rescue was called to the Joan L. and Norm Wait Senior Apartments located at 3500 Peters Ave, on Morningside University’s campus.

Crews were initially called to the scene for a reported fire alarm. Once on scene, they had a fire that was put out by the building’s sprinkler system. They then called for additional rigs.

Sioux City Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief, Frank Fulton, told KTIV that the cause was something next to a space heater that caught fire.

He also says the fire was put out quickly by the building’s sprinkler system.

Morningside University says no students, faculty, or staff were injured during the incident.

“The safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities,” said Morningside University. All residents of the building were temporarily evacuated as a precautionary measure and have since been cleared to return to their rooms.”

University officials say one residential unit was affected.

“Due to the incident, one residential unit was affected. The students residing in this unit will be temporarily relocated to other on-campus housing University staff are working directly with these students to ensure they have the support and resources they need,” said Morningside University. We are grateful for the swift response of the local fire department and our campus safety team.”

With many people using space heaters this season, Sioux City Fire Rescue wants to remind Siouxlanders to always be cautious.

“Something for people to remember is, you want to keep at least a 3-foot distance around your space heaters,” said Assistant Fire Chief Fulton. “They do get pretty hot, obviously, that is what started the fire tonight.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A stove fire activated sprinklers at a Wilmington apartment complex Thursday, but the blaze was largely extinguished by the time firefighters arrived.

The fire was reported at 11:05 a.m. at a two-story complex the 200 block of East E Street, according Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz.

Firefighters encountered light smoke on arrival, shut down the sprinklers and ensured the fire had not spread into the walls or ceiling, Lantz said.

No injuries were reported.

Crews were expected to remain on scene for water removal, Lantz said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Georgetown, DE – Sprinkler system activated for balcony fire at apartment complex

Crews with the Georgetown Fire Company responded Monday afternoon to a fire alarm activation at an apartment complex on Light Street and found a small fire on a third-floor balcony.

Firefighters were dispatched at about 12:54 p.m. Jan. 5, to the 32000 block of Light Street in the Weston Willows community. The first responding units discovered a chair on fire on the balcony of a third-floor apartment, with the building’s sprinkler system activated, said Georgetown Fire Company.

Fire crews checked the area for if the fire spread and determined the flames did not reach inside the apartment.

The investigation is being handled by the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bridgeport, CT – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Ten people are displaced after a fire broke out at the 400 block of Washington Avenue in Bridgeport.

At around 5:30 p.m., the Bridgeport Fire Department responded to a fire alarm.

Upon arrival, firefighters located heavy smoke conditions after the fire was extinguished in one unit by the sprinkler system.

Nine units were affected, displacing ten people.

There were no reported injuries.

The American Red Cross is working to help those who were displaced.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brattleboro, VT – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment building

A fire at an apartment building on Elliot St. displaced multiple residents Saturday afternoon after sprinklers contained the blaze but caused extensive water damage.

The fire happened just before 2 p.m. at 107 Elliot Street, the fire department said. Crews found a fire contained to a single apartment on the sixth floor of the building.

The sprinkler system put the fire out but caused significant water damage to 17 additional apartments, according to the fire department.

Two people suffered minor injuries and were evaluated at the scene before being taken to a nearby hospital, the fire department said.

Brattleboro emergency crews received assistance from Chesterfield Fire, Keene New Hampshire, Guilford Fire and other nearby units.

Multiple people were displaced from their apartments because of the water damage, the Brattleboro Fire Department said. The American Red Cross and the Brattleboro Housing Authority are providing temporary housing solutions and support services.

Restoration efforts are underway in the damaged units. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Langford, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fourth floor apartment fire

At least one person was left homeless on Christmas Eve after a fire badly damaged one suite and water damage rendered others temporarily uninhabitable at an apartment building on Treanor Avenue in Langford.

View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst said at least one person was displaced as a result of the midday blaze, a kitchen fire on the fourth floor, which drew firefighters from Langford, Colwood and View Royal.

The fire was contained to the suite after the sprinkler system activated, controlling the blaze, he said.

“But unfortunately, you know what happens when a sprinkler system goes off on the fourth floor — everybody on floors three, two and one [is affected] — it makes for a pretty wet experience all the way around.”

Hurst couldn’t say exactly how many people were displaced, but the unit where the fire started is uninhabitable due to flame, smoke and water damage. He expected at least a handful of other units would have been hard to live in as a result of water damage.

“We got the water shut off as quickly as we could, but still they flow at 20 to 30 gallons per minute,” he said. If it takes 10 minutes for the fire department to shut off the water, that amounts to 300 gallons, “a lot of water in a small apartment.”

The occupant of the suite on the fourth floor was not in the unit at the time of the fire.

The province confirmed Wednesday afternoon that one person is receiving a shelter allowance through Emergency Support Services.

Hurst said if it was any other time of year, more people could have been displaced.

But because it was Christmas Eve, the crews on scene used “vacuums and all kinds of stuff to get up as much of the water as we could to make the suites somewhat habitable.”

Apartment Building, Residential

San Marino, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire on fourth floor of apartment building

On Thursday, Dec. 4, the San Marino Fire Department’s Battalion 9 assisted the Pasadena Fire Department on a mid-rise apartment house fire on the fourth floor. The fire was isolated to the primary apartment unit, and due to the activation of the building’s fire sprinkler system, damage was kept to a minimum. BC9 provided Command Support throughout the incident.

 

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers