Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

La Mesa, CA – Car fire at apartment complex controlled with help from sprinkler system

A car fire at a La Mesa apartment complex was knocked down by a sprinkler system and quick work by firefighters before it could do any structural damage, Heartland fire officials said Saturday.

Firefighters from La Mesa, El Cajon and Cal Fire responded to the blaze shortly after 8 p.m. Friday at the Alterra Apartments in the 8700 block of Fletcher Parkway, according to Heartland Fire spokesman Sonny Saghera.

The fire sprinkler system was already activated when firefighters arrived within four minutes of being dispatched, Saghera said.

It took fire crews less than 10 minutes to get the car fire out and the sprinkler system off before any damage was done to the apartment units above the garage. There were no injuries, evacuations or water damage, and no damage to other vehicles. The cause and damage amount were not released by Heartland Fire.

Apartment Building, Residential High Rise

Evanston, IL – No injuries in high-rise apartment fire extinguished by single sprinkler

A fire in a high-rise building can be one of the most frightening and dangerous incidents for any resident and one of the most challenging and complex operations for any fire department. Firefighters must contend with numerous factors like location of the fire beyond the reach of ground ladders, wind driven fires, tremendous manpower and resources needs, as well as the evacuation of residents.

On March 12, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Evanston Fire Department responded to 1900 Sherman Ave. for the fire alarm activation. Upon arrival they were informed of a kitchen fire on the 11th floor with water flowing in the stairwell and smoke showing on the 11th floor.

The fire investigation team found that a kitchen fire in an 11th floor unit had been extinguished by a sprinkler head activation, allowing an invalid resident and guest of the unit to escape to safety into the hallway to await assistance. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation and transported to the local hospital for follow-up care. The Red Cross assisted three residents, who were displaced for two days.

It was just last November that the Cook County Housing Authority, under the direction of the Evanston Fire Prevention Bureau retrofitted 1900 Sherman Avenue with sprinklers throughout the building, including the residential units. “There is no doubt in my mind that the upgrade to the suppression system saved the day for us, but more importantly, the lives of the residents and limited the damage to this property,” stated Fire Chief Klaiber.

Evanston Fire had no report of injury to personnel.

Apartment Building, Residential

Moncton, NB, Canada – Sprinklers keep overnight kitchen fire from spreading at high-rise apartment building; No injuries

About 100 people were displaced from their apartments in a Moncton building overnight after a relatively minor fire in the kitchen area of one unit on Tuesday at around midnight. The fire in one unit of six-storey building triggered the sprinkler system in the building to go off and smoke spread to other units.

“There was a small grease fire on the stovetop on one of the apartment units on the third floor,” said fire prevention officer Steve Richardson. “There was minimal damage from the fire and smoke but the heat activated three sprinkler heads. So there was heavy water damage to the apartment and the two floors below the fire floor.

“It extinguished the fire really quickly but until the crews were able to get there and plug those sprinkler heads, there was a lot of water that ran through the building and the floors below from where the fire was.” Michael R. LeBlanc, who lives in the building, said the events were “a little foggy for me.”

“I have health issues, so it takes a while to get going. It took me a while to put warm clothes on.” LeBlanc said he saw water on some floors, but none on his, so he went back to bed. At 4 a.m he was awakened by a firefighter in his bedroom. “I was quite startled by that. He told that you have to pack up,” he said.

Red Cross found lodging, food for 60 people The 50-unit Belmar Plaza building at 460 Mountain Rd. is owned by Killam Properties, which was able to provide furnished apartments in some of its other Moncton properties for the tenants of five units.

The Canadian Red Cross arranged for hotel lodging and food for 51 adults and nine children from 23 units. Five of the apartments in the building were vacant at the time of the fire. All other tenants made their own arrangements for temporary places to stay.

Most residents were able to retrieve clothing and personal items before leaving. All residents were allowed back into their apartments on Wednesday, with the exception of those living in the unit where the fire happened. There were no injuries reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lexington, KY – Fire at off-campus apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire above a stove in the University Village Apartments on Simpson Avenue in Lexington Tuesday night was extinguished by the sprinkler system, which kept the fire from spreading, according to fire investigators. The fire was out before firefighters arrived. Investigators say there was minimal smoke and fire damage to the apartment and no smoke damage. All of the occupants evacuated as a precaution. The people who live in the apartment will be able to stay there, according to investigators. No one was hurt, according to firefighters. In addition to the effective sprinkler system, all of the smoke detectors also functioned properly, according to investigators.

Apartment Building, Residential

Erie, PA – Apartment fire caused by unattended candle is put out by sprinkler system

Erie firefighters were dispatched to the Alex W. Thompson apartment complex, 441 W. Third St., on a report of a fire Monday at 1:49 p.m. The fire broke out in an apartment and was caused by a candle placed next to a plastic ornamental plant, Erie Fire Inspector John Widomski said. The fire set off the building’s sprinkler system, which put out the fire, Widomski said. Widomski said there was minimal fire damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Aliquippa, PA – Sprinkler system activates to help control overnight apartment fire

A fire inside an Aliquippa apartment building early Saturday morning displaced 40 residents. The Aliquippa Fire Department said the fire broke out inside the Eleanor Roosevelt Apartments on Sheffield Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Officials said the fire started inside a kitchen on the eighth floor. Fire officials said there were no injuries, but 40 people were displaced because of water damage caused by the sprinkler system. The Red Cross said it is providing lodging for 23 of the building’s residents.

Apartment Building, Residential

Halifax, NS, Canada – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A third-floor apartment kitchen fire during noon hour left a building at 334 Parkland Dr. was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. Four apparatuses and 12 firefighters responded to the blaze.  The call came in at 12:54 p.m. last Wednesday, and firefighters were there shortly thereafter, Blackburn said.

“The sprinkler system worked perfectly fine, but the water flow had ramifications on that floor as well as floors below,” Blackburn said. The sprinklers were shut down within about 10 minutes, he said.

“You never want to turn (sprinkler systems) off too early. We wanted to make sure the fire had been extinguished prior to shutting any suppression systems down,” he said. The building was evacuated, but tenants were allowed to go back into apartments that weren’t affected by the fire, he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The room of origin was the kitchen in Apt. 310, he said.

Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Tulsa, OK – Overnight fire at senior apartment complex is limited by sprinkler system

The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. at Inverness Village near 3800 W. 71st St. A couple woke up to their balcony on fire. The husband pulled the fire alarm and the couple ran outside to safety.

Firefighters with the Sapulpa Fire Department showed up to see several residents outside. According to firefighters, the sprinkler system helped contain the fire until crews were able to put it out completely.

Everyone who evacuated is back inside their apartments. Three people were put in module units until their apartments are repaired.

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, ME – Apartment kitchen fire suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A section of Congress Street in Portland was shut down for several hours last Tuesday after a kitchen fire set off a sprinkler system in a downtown apartment building. Deputy Fire Chief John Everett said a flash fire broke out on a stove in a fourth-floor kitchen at 439 Congress St. around 2 p.m.

Though the fire caused minor damage, it set off the sprinkler system in the Metropolitan Apartments. Everett said water from the fire suppression system caused damage to the kitchen and two apartments below it as well as to businesses located on the first floor.

Firefighters spent more than three hours in the building vacuuming up water and covering items that were damaged by the water.  Congress Street between Elm and Temple streets remained closed for more than three hours.

Apartment Building, Residential

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in extinguishing early morning apartment fire

At around 1:40 a.m. CST, the Saskatoon Fire Department responded to a call of smoke coming from an apartment complex on the 1300 block of 20th Street W. A mattress had caught fire in the building and its occupants were forced outside. Ventilation fans were put in place to clear the smoke after firefighters were able to put out the fire with the help of an existing water sprinkler head. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this point.