Category Archives: Apartment Building

Rockland, ME – Sprinkler extinguishes fire in 44-unit downtown apartment building; No injuries

A fire damaged one apartment and a business Monday evening in a historic downtown apartment complex. The fire chief said a sprinkler head extinguished the fire in the one apartment where the fire broke out. 

There were no injuries but the fire at the Thorndike Building kept Rockland firefighters at the scene for more than two hours. Residents of the 44-unit apartment complex were evacuated. The fire was reported at 5:25 p.m. by a resident of a second-floor apartment at the Thorndike, a four-story brick complex that has businesses on the Main Street level and apartments on the upper two floors.

The fire is not believed to be of suspicious origin, said Rockland Fire Chief Adam Miceli. The state fire marshal’s office has been called in to assist in the investigation but Miceli said there was work being done outside the building near the second floor rear apartment and which may be connected to the fire. While there was smoke in the hallways, there was no real smoke damage in those areas.

Normal, IL – Apartment fire that started in clothes dryer contained with help of sprinkler system

A fire in a clothes dryer caused at a Normal apartment building Monday morning has left one family displaced. The fire reported at 12:25 a.m. at 101 Northfield Drive, Building H. A sprinkler system helped prevent the fire’s spread, said Normal Fire Department spokesman Matt Swaney. There were no injuries and the cause remains under investigation.

Normal firefighters met a resident outside who said a clothes dryer inside her apartment was on fire, and it was spreading. They found heavy smoke inside the apartment and used a thermal imaging camera to locate the laundry room. Due to the number of residents in the building, a second alarm was ordered, calling in off-duty Normal firefighters and a Rapid Intervention Team from Bloomington Fire Department. 

There was heavy fire and smoke damage to the apartment’s laundry room and moderate heat and smoke damage to the rest of the apartment. Damage is estimated at $10,000 to the building and $5,000 in the contents, according to a news release from the department.

Modesto, CA – Single sprinkler controls intentionally set fire by man under influence of methamphetamine

A Modesto man who set a pair of socks on fire to ward off a perceived intruder was arrested Sunday. Police say the man had been smoking methamphetamine earlier in the day. “These apartments have sprinkler systems,” said Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Hugo Patino. “One sprinkler activated and held the fire in check.” 

The incident occurred in the 2800 block of West Rumble Road just after 7 p.m., said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves. Officers believe the man might have been hallucinating due to drug use when he set the socks on fire. Graves said the suspect believed someone was trying to break into his home and thought the fire would scare him off.

The burning socks subsequently caught the bedroom on fire and the man had to evacuate with his wife and two children.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Fire at off-campus residence quickly contained by sprinkler system

Toronto Fire responded to a fire at Ryerson’s O’Keefe House residence building tonight.  Six units responded to the call, which was quickly contained due to the building’s sprinkler system, according to Toronto Fire Services.

Smoke was seen coming from the upper floor of the building shortly after 6 p.m. and started in a residence bedroom.  The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.  Ryerson’s smallest residence, O’Keefe House was built around 1875.  It currently houses 32 students.

Sun Valley, NV – Sprinklers control multiple arson fires at apartment complex

The Sparks Fire Department says fires at a Sun Valley apartment complex were intentionally set.  The fires started around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Boulder Creek Apartments.  Crews found that the internal fire sprinkler system had extinguished two fires in two separate areas of the unit.  A third fire was noticed in another room but had self-extinguished.

The call was reported to Sparks dispatch by the fire alarm monitoring company as water flow.  Fire crews found smoke coming out of the open entry door of one of the apartment units.  Firefighters found no one inside.  Sparks Fire says several people were evacuated, but have been allowed back into their units.  There were no reports of injuries.

Las Vegas, NV – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at senior apartment complex

A fire sprinkler system alarm alerted firefighters to an incident at the Decatur Pines Senior Apartments at 5:22 p.m. Friday. It appeared there had been a fire in the bathroom of the apartment, but it was extinguished by the fire sprinklers.

Firefighters went to the third floor of the building, they found a fire sprinkler flowing water in one of the apartments. A woman was transported to University Medical Center for a first degree burn to one of her arms. A first-degree burn is similar to a sunburn, but a first-degree burn to a senior citizen is considered a serious matter and requires medical attention.

Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental. The woman was trying to use a can of aerosol deodorant, but the push button was not operating properly. The woman used a tool to pry it open, and the can started to spew out product into the air near a small candle burning on a bathroom sink. When the aerosol product reached the flame of the candle, it ignited and caused a flash fire, which lasted for only a second.

The flash fire activated the fire sprinkler, which quickly doused the flames and also sprayed water onto the woman, which probably limited her exposure to the heat of the fire which minimized her burn. Damage was estimated at $1,000 and was confined to the bathroom. There were no other reported injuries during the incident. Seniors that evacuated the three-story apartment building were allowed to return a short time later after firefighters were sure that fire was out.

Greenwich, CT – Christmas tree fire at apartment complex put out by sprinkler system, no injuries

There were no injuries this morning when a Christmas tree caught fire inside a Greenwich apartment.  The fire was put out by the apartment buildings sprinkler system.

Police say the fire occurred at approximately 9 a.m. at Wilbur Peck Court after the resident of one of a 2nd floor unit left for work leaving the Christmas tree lights on. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation but the Greenwich Fire Marshall’s Office says it most likely was caused by a broken Christmas tree light bulb.