Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Yarmouth, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Firefighters rushed to the Yarmouth Commons Apartments sometime before 12:30 PM after reports of a kitchen fire on the 3rd floor. Mutual aid from Dennis also responded to the scene. A sprinkler system controlled the fire and limited damage to the kitchen. No injuries were reported. Further details were not immediately available.

In response to a reader inquiry, Cape Wide News reached out to Yarmouth Fire and received the following statement from Deputy Chief Jon Sawyer: “The building is not habitual at this time. There are 40 apartments and 39 were occupied. As of  7:30 PM (Saturday), the sprinkler and fire alarm systems had been restored, broken windows in the fire apartment had been boarded up and restoration crews were on scene working hard to remove water and dry things out. All three floors sustained water damage.

The towns Building and Electrical Inspectors were on scene and are ready to assist contractors as soon as they are ready.

Families were allowed back into the building to collect medications and belongings as soon as it was safe.

Red Cross did a fantastic job assisting families as well as the management of the complex.

Everyone involved knows families are displaced and are doing everything possible to get them back home as quickly as possible.”

The apartments were constructed on the site of the former Cavalier Motel.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex

A sprinkler system put out a fire at a Madison apartment building. 

Fire officials say crews were called to the 600 block of Sand Pearl Lane overnight Wednesday.

There was haze in one unit and smoke coming from a vent outside the deck.

Firefighters found the fire in the garbage area, which was completely controlled by an automatic fire sprinkler.

Ladder 2 was able to finish the job with their own water can extinguisher. The crew rolled the dumpster outside and Engine 9 filled it with water so the fire could not reignite.

Officials say this is the eighth “sprinkler save” in Madison this year.

Automatic fire sprinklers are shown to be highly effective in detecting a fire quickly and keeping it contained, if not extinguishing the fire altogether before firefighters arrive.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wausau, WI – Sprinkler system contains fire on third floor of apartment complex; No injuries reported

Bantr Apartments, which houses the rooftop restaurant, had a small fire at the apartment complex off of 17th Avenue on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the fire Wausau Fire Chief, a fire was in a room on the third floor, but the sprinkler system contained the blaze. There was water damage but mostly to the room where the fire took place.

Multiple trucks from the Wausau Fire Department responded to the apartment complex which was recently completed off 17th Avenue for a fire call shortly after noon Tuesday.

There wasn’t much smoke or fire visible from the outside of the building. The building is owned by Bantr.

No one was injured in the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Santa Rosa, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in 14-story apartment building

An elderly woman and a small dog were rescued from a fire that broke out in a Santa Rosa high-rise apartment complex on Sunday morning, announced the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

The fire department first received reports of a fire via a water flow alarm in a 14-story apartment building on 801 Tupper St shortly after 4 a.m.

Firefighters responded to apartment 303 in the building and found that a sprinkler system activated and extinguished a fire from the kitchen. Firefighters found a woman on the ground of the living room floor and brought her to the first floor lobby. A small dog was also found in the apartment.

The woman was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Fire officials deemed the apartment uninhabitable because of severe water and fire damage. Water damage also affected seven other apartments in the building, said firefighters.

Apartment Building, Residential

Honolulu, HI – Fire at sixth-floor apartment unit extinguished by sprinkler system

On Saturday, April 22, the Honolulu Fire Department said they responded to a 911 call at 8:14 p.m.

The call indicated that there was a building fire at the location of the Country Club Village complex in the Moanalua area.

When fire personnel arrived on the scene at 8:18 p.m., they discovered water flowing out from a sixth-floor apartment of a 30-story building.

HPD personnel noticed that while the water was running out of the apartment, there did not seem to be fire or smoke emanating from the building.

Fire personnel made their way to the sixth-floor apartment. When they identified which apartment, they were able to gain access.

HPD confirmed that there were no occupants and proceeded to locate the fire.

However, what they found was not a fire because the sprinkler system had fully extinguished the fire prior to their arrival, according to HPD.

A portion of the fire personnel crew dispatched to cover the fire remained on the scene to secure the sprinklers and prevent more water from flowing into the apartment and the building.

Fire personnel also went the extra mile to assist with removing water from the building so that residents could return to their homes.

HPD did report that the elevator shaft became flooded due to the sprinkler system’s response to the fire, and the building was without elevator car service until the elevator company can repair the water damage and place them back into service.

HPD reported that they closed this case by 11:45 p.m.

HFD fully endorses the use of fire sprinklers to help mitigate the damages that fires can cause, and they have provided a few safety tips to help protect you and your family from a fire.

Ensure that your home has an adequate number of smoke alarms. These are essential for early warning detection of smoke related to fires. Having a warning system is the best way to increase the chances that you and your family have enough time to evacuate.

The HFD link for information on smoke alarms provides detailed information on how to maximize your smoke alarms.

The informational site also provides details on the various types of smoke alarms and the different ways to use them.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chattanooga, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Chattanooga firefighters responded to a reported apartment fire at the Mary Walker Towers at 2505 Market Street at 3:35PM on Saturday.

No injuries were reported.

The fire was located in the kitchen of the affected apartment and was extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Several apartment units received water damage.

The Chattanooga Housing Authority is assisting the residents affected.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fort Dodge, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system extinguished a fire in a downtown Fort Dodge apartment building Tuesday morning. No one was injured.

A report of a fire alarm activated at Central Place Apartments, 629 Central Ave., was received at 9:17 a.m.

Police officers who were first on the scene reported smoke on the second floor of the six-story building.

Fire Department Capt. Jeff Hill said the source of the smoke was determined to be apartment 202. There, he said, three sprinkler heads activated and extinguished a fire that was burning a chair and some cushions.

Firefighters searched the apartment for people and put out a couple of hot spots. They also ventilated smoke from the apartment.

Police officers helped to evacuate residents of the other apartments. Those residents were allowed to go inside next door at Citizens Central.

Hill said the occupant of the apartment was home when the fire started, but was able to get out into the hallway.

Apartment 202 sustained smoke, fire and water damage, while the apartment below it sustained water damage.

The American Red Cross is assisting the resident of the fire-damaged apartment, Hill said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Emergency personnel were on the scene until 11 a.m.

Apartment Building, Residential

Virginia Beach, VA – Sprinkler system contains fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A fire forced residents out of a Virginia Beach apartment building on the afternoon of Sunday, April 2.

According to a spokesperson for the Virginia Beach Fire Dept., crews responded just before 2:00 p.m. Sunday to the Crescent Square Apartments on Diamond Springs Road.

Fire officials told News 3 no injuries were reported.

Fire crews said the fire is believed to be accidental and started in a kitchen.

Crews added a sprinkler system activation kept the fire contained, but power was turned off for the building as the electrical system has to be inspected by electricians.

The fire department says 72 people were temporarily displaced due to no power in the building. Residents will be able to return to the building once electrical is approved.

Additionally, the department says 20 of the units were impacted by water damage. Those who reside in the 20 water damaged units will be unable to return immediately.

Apartment Building, Residential

Murray, UT – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire above theater

A local playhouse, the Desert Star Playhouse, will be closed for at least two weeks following a fire in an apartment above the theater.

“The show will go on,” they said in a Facebook post.

Over the weekend, a fire occurred in an apartment directly above the theater, and due to Desert Star owner, Mike Todd, and his vigilance in keeping the fire alarms and sprinkler systems maintained, a victim of the fire was saved. Authorities also say the majority of the damage was from the sprinkler system.

The fire on March 31 was put out by crews with the Murray Fire Department. According to the Murray City Fire Chief, Joseph Mittelman, the crews could walk directly to the unit where the fire was reported.

Mittelman said when they entered the unit, the sprinkler was going off, and a person was in there. The crew began treatment of the victim as they awaited paramedics. When the paramedics arrived, they transported the victim to the hospital to treat him for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

“The one thing we’re so appreciative of is a business owner, such as the Desert Star [owner], that is safety oriented. They had an alarm system, that was […] maintained, and also this fire sprinkler system has been maintained as well,” Mittelman said. “In this case, [the system] protected, and also saved this individual’s life.”

The apartment received both fire and water damage, and The Desert Star received flooding and water damage. According to Mittelman, fire sprinklers put out 7 gallons per minute.

The Desert Star said that due to the water damage, they are planning to re-open in two weeks, if not sooner. They said they’re currently in the process of cleaning up and readying the theater for future laughs.

“We didn’t start the fire,” Desert Star quipped. “But we’ll keep the place lit with our laughs.”

The Desert Star said that you can plan ahead for the re-opening, and purchase tickets for upcoming events on their website.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire caused by unattended cooking

Firefighters responded to an apartment on Tree Lane to investigate a fire alarm in the building. There were also multiple reports of smoke coming from an apartment unit inside.

Ladder Co. 2 checked the building’s alarm panel, which indicated a problem on the fourth floor. The crew proceeded to the fourth floor and identified that an automatic fire sprinkler had caught and extinguished a fire caused by unattended cooking.

Firefighters checked the unit for occupants and did find someone sleeping in another room with the door closed. That occupant was uninjured and able to evacuate the unit while firefighters turned off the stove and shut down the fire sprinkler system.

The incident caused fire damage to the stovetop and microwave, as well as some charring of drywall. Two other residential units were also affected. The American Red Cross is assisting those who were displaced.