Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Medicine Hat, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Update: The Medicine Hat Fire Service says residents residing at the Toronto Street Apartments have been taken to a local hotel, after their building sustained extensive water damage following a structure fire Saturday afternoon.

Crews were called to the area just after 4p.m. Saturday.

“On arrival there was smoke coming from a set of patio doors on the fourth floor. The first arriving crew, gained access quickly, and with the assistance of the sprinkler system in the building, the fire was extinguished quickly,” said Kevin Heinrich with the Medicine Hat Fire Service.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

Members of the Medicine Hat Fire Service were called out to the Toronto street apartments Saturday afternoon to battle a structure fire.

Photos submitted to CHAT News, and videos on social media appear to show smoke coming out of a top-floor apartment unit.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this point. A fire investigator remains on scene.

Portions of 3rd street were blocked off from traffic as fire crews worked to put out the blaze.

EMS and the Medicine Hat Police Service were also on scene.

CHAT News has reached out to the Medicine Hat Fire Service for more details.

As of 5p.m. the Medicine Hat Fire Service remains on scene.

More to come.

Apartment Building, Residential

Overland Park, KS – Sprinkler system contains apartment fire; No injuries reported

Eleven apartment buildings were damaged Saturday after a fire broke out.

Firefighters were called about 3:15 p.m. Saturday to Promontory Apartments at 8905 Metcalf Ave. When crews arrived on scene smoke and fire could be seen in a fourth-floor apartment. 

Firefighters from Overland Park, Consolidated Fire District No.2, Leawood, and Lenexa responded to extinguish the fire, search for trapped occupants and evacuate the remainder of the building.

A second alarm was requested to provide relief to fire crews and also assist salvage efforts of the adjoining apartment units.

Fire damage was contained to the apartment of origin by the building’s fire sprinkler system and was fully extinguished by fire crews. An additional 10 apartments were damaged by water or smoke as a result of the fire.

No injuries were reported.

The Red Cross was on scene to provide temporary lodging for residents affected. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Leavenworth, VA – Arson fire in apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A fire that resulted in the displacement of about a dozen people at a privately operated apartment building on the Leavenworth VA campus is being called a case of arson.

The fire was reported at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 3900 block of Franklin Avenue. No injuries were reported.

Leavenworth Fire Marshal Andy Brooks said someone apparently broke into a vacant second-floor apartment and placed miscellaneous items including mail and a DVD player on top of an electric stove. The person then turned on the burners.

The resulting fire activated the sprinkler system in the apartment, which put out the fire.

“The sprinkler basically ran until we shut it off,” Brooks said.

He said water from the sprinkler system flooded the apartment and a foyer area located on a lower level.

Brooks said electricity had to be shut off at the building.

“Water was flowing where we couldn’t see it,” he said. “We didn’t want to have any electrical hazards.”

He said the sprinkler system also was shut down to stop it from running and allow it to be drained out.

Brooks said about 12 tenants were displaced. He said the American Red Cross offered assistance to the people who were affected.

Angie Springs, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross, said in an email that the response team assisted the people who were impacted to address their immediate needs.

Brooks said a suspect has not been identified in the arson investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Columbus, IN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire on apartment balcony; No injuries reported

Columbus firefighters were sent to The Enclave Apartments, 275 N. Marr Road, at 9:56 a.m. Sunday after a fire alarm activated due to water flow being detected in the building’s sprinkler system.

When firefighters arrived, they saw a sprinkler head on a third-story balcony had activated and was showering water. When they went to the third floor apartment, they were unable to make contact with anyone inside and breached the door to do a search, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.

After determining no one was in the apartment, they went to the balcony where they saw evidence a fire had occurred and had been extinguished by the sprinkler system, Wilson said.

The fire caused damage to the exterior vinyl siding as well as a portion of the wooden structure on balcony. To ensure the fire had not extended into the attic space or internal apartment, firefighters removed additional sections of siding and drywall which confirmed the fire was isolated to the balcony area.

Damages are estimated at $5,000. Columbus Fire Department investigators are investigating the cause. No injuries were reported at the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Montgomery, AL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Pike Road firefighters say a fire Sunday could have been much worse if not for the apartment’s sprinkler system.

According to the Pike Road Fire Department, Capt. David Hughes, the fire happened at the Stone Park Apartment complex. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. Firefighters deactivated the sprinkler system and began cleaning efforts.

No one was injured during the fire, according to Hughes.

Additional details surrounding the fire have not been released.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wichita Falls, TX – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

A two-alarm fire broke out early Friday in a Wichita Falls apartment complex that caters to Midwestern State  University students.

According to Wichita Falls Fire Depart assistant fire marshal Jared Burchett:

The alarm at Mustang Village, 5005 Lake Park Drive, came in shortly before 1:30 a.m. Firefighters received a report multiple people were trapped with some jumping from windows to escape.

The first fire trucks on the scene reported smoke coming from one of the buildings. Firefighters ran hoses and began rescuing multiple people from the burning structure.

It was discovered most of the fire damage was to an exterior potion of a storage area located in a corridor of a stairwell. The fire appeared to have spread along some plastic siding, through the stairwell and up to the third floor. Burchett said residents attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers and the building’s sprinkler system was activated.

AMR medics evacuated multiple people at the scene, but no one was transported to the hospital. A man and woman were seen being treated for what appeared to be smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross was called to assist 13 people affected by the fire. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashville, TN – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

The Nashville Fire Department responded to a kitchen fire at an apartment in the Fifth and Broadway complex Thursday night.

Crews were dispatched to 5055 Broadway Place. A security guard from The Place Apartments told the fire department the building was evacuated after someone reported seeing flames. 

When crews arrived to the scene, they discovered a kitchen fire on the sixth floor. According to NFD, the stove was accidentally turned on and started the fire. Crews were able to get a dog out of the apartment uninjured.

During the fire, the apartment’s sprinkler system activated and water was released through the balcony to prevent extensive water damage beyond the affected unit.

There were no injuries reported from the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

West Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for couch fire at apartment complex

West Kelowna firefighters spent some of Sunday afternoon dousing a couch fire potentially sparked by an electrical charging device.

Reports of a fire alarm going off at the Harbor Ridge Apartments on Old Ferry Wharf Road prompted a crew to head to the building, where they found the sprinkler system activated and was holding a small fire in a couch on the first floor.

“Residents had evacuated the building and fire crews finished extinguishing the fire and stopping the flow of water from the sprinkler system,” fire chief Jason Brolund said in a press release.

“In this case, all systems and the residents of the building performed well. The fire alarm and suppression systems in the building functioned exactly as designed, alerting residents and holding the fire to a small size. The residents and building management did exactly as they should, evacuating the building and showing patience and understanding as firefighters took care of the emergency.”

Fire damage was contained to one unit and there was a small amount of smoke and water damage from the sprinkler system to five other nearby units.

“Most residents of the building were able to return home within two hours,” Brolund said. “The residents of six units have been offered Emergency Support Services while the status and damage of their units is further evaluated. Any residents with questions or requiring further assistance are directed to contact the building manager.”

The fire investigation has been completed. The cause of the fire has been deemed accidental, possibly related to an electrical charging device in the unit.

“This event is a great reminder of the importance of having an emergency plan including a grab-and-go kit for your self, your family and your pets. You never know when or why you may have to leave your home without notice and a few minutes of preparation can make this process much smoother,” he said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Skokie, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

People in one Skokie residential building are dealing with the aftermath of a fire that has left them in the dark.

About 140 people live in the 10-story building.

On the fifth floor, a small fire triggered the sprinkler system, and while the fire was quickly contained, those sprinklers did their job so well spraying water that it actually flooded parts of the rest of the building.

“There’s too much of it on five, and it’s all through the elevators and everything,” said resident Michelle Carelli. “My apartment’s got it through the hallway. I”ll have some cleaning to do in my apartment.”

There were no injuries as a result of the fire.

Skokie Fire said the fire actually got inside the electrical system, which can be dangerous, so they had to shut down power to the building. Saturday morning they were working with electricians and Cook County Emergency Management and hoped to have power restored within several hours.

Apartment Building, Residential

East Wenatchee, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes cooking fire caused by oil

A Tuesday night structure fire in East Wenatchee left occupants displaced and was a result of oil left cooking on the stove.

According to public information officer, Kay McKellar, Douglas County Fire District 2 responded to the structure fire around 9 p.m. in the 500 block of 11th street. A man in the home was cooking oil on the stove and left to head to the grocery store. When he returned home, the oil had started a small fire.

The overhead sprinkler did put out the fire, however there was water damage from the sprinkler to both the unit and the one below. The Red Cross was called to assist with the displaced occupants.