Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire on fifth floor apartment deck

An apartment building’s sprinkler system kept a minor fire on a fifth floor deck from expanding early Friday morning.

Just before 6 a.m. on Oct. 18, the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) responded to a call for a structure fire at a six-story apartment building in the 800 block of Leon Avenue. When the initial crew arrived at the scene, no smoke or flames could be seen from the apartment’s exterior.

Upon further review, a small fire was found on a fifth floor deck. The sprinkler system kept the fire from expanding and crews extinguished the rest of the blaze.

The building’s fire alarm went off and everyone evacuated safely. After the blaze was doused, everyone was able to go back to their homes. No one was injured and one person was treated for minor smoke inhalation.

KFD has deemed the fire accidental and it’s no longer under investigation. They responded with three engines, one rescue unit, one ladder truck, and one command unit, totaling 18 fire personnel.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

At around 3:30 a.m. Monday morning, Rochester Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm with reports of sprinkler flow at Century Heights Apartments.

The first unit on scene, E4, arrived to find the apartment building being evacuated.

No smoke or fire conditions were visible outside the building, but RFD crews proceeded to apartment #308 where according to RFD, “a slight haze and odor of burnt food was noticeable.”

In the apartment, RFD identified a cooking fire that had been extinguished by the activation of the sprinkler system. Crews ventilated the apartment and worked to remove water from the building.

No injuries occurred, and there was moderate water damage in the affected apartment.

RFD says sprinkler systems are exceptionally reliable, such that the chance of dying in a fire is reduced by 90% when sprinklers are installed in a building. According to the NFPA, property damage in dollars is reduced by up to two-thirds depending on occupancy type when sprinklers are present.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fort Wayne, IN – Sprinkler system activated for electric bike fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

An electric bike fire contained to a closet set off the sprinkler system in a Fort Wayne apartment building Monday.

The five-story building on Westbrook Drive was occupied at the time of the fire, but no people or pets were injured.

The first Fort Wayne Fire Department unit to respond was directed to a third-floor bicycle closet where they found that an electric bike battery caught fire. It was contained to the closet because of the sprinkler system.

There was minor fire and smoke damage to the building, as well as moderate water damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brattleboro, VT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A fire in an apartment building on Main Street caused significant water damage to nearby units and a business Monday afternoon, according to a news release from the Brattleboro Fire Department.

Crews were dispatched to 117-119 Main St. for a fire alarm shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Monday, the release said. When first responders arrived, they reported nothing showing from the front of the four-story building, but Brattleboro Fire Capt. Kurt Schmidt advised that there was a sprinkler flow in the building and smoke on the third floor, according to the release. Schmidt requested the incident be upgraded to a first alarm.

At 2:45 p.m., first responders discovered the fire in an apartment on the fourth floor. The sprinkler system kept the fire to that apartment, the release said. Crews performed a primary search of that apartment and the rest of the building and deemed the fire under control shortly after. However, the sprinkler controls to shut the system down were behind a locked door in the basement, according to the release.

There were no reported injuries in the incident, the release said, but the apartments at 117 Main St. and Beadniks, an arts and crafts store specializing in beads and gemstones, had significant water damage. The apartments at 119 Main St. and another business, Trillium Home and Garden, were evacuated. Due to the extent of the water damage, the power had to be turned off for both sides of the building.

“Electricians will be on scene today to determine if the power can be restored to 119 Main St. to allow for the people to reoccupy that side as well as for Trillium to reopen,” the release said. “However, Beadniks and the apartments at 117 Main Street will be unable to reoccupy for a considerable time.”

Thirteen people were displaced as a result of the water damage. The Red Cross was notified and arranged housing for three of them, and others were able to make alternative arrangements. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Burton, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at apartment complex

A Tuesday afternoon fire broke out in a Burton apartment and displaced a child and adult before being extinguished by the sprinkler system.

According to the Burton Fire District (BFD), responders were dispatched just past 4:00 p.m. to Magnolia Park Apartments on Laurel Bay Road.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a kitchen fire had activated the sprinkler system, which was flowing water from a single sprinkler head. The sprinkler had fully extinguished the fire by the time fire personnel arrived.

Officials stated that while the apartment sustained some water damage, the impact was extremely limited for this type of fire.

“A residential sprinkler head flows about 25 gallons of water a minute,” stated Burton Fire Captain Ethan Webb who was first to arrive, “but today it extinguished the fire immediately. Had the fire spread, not only would you have more fire damages, but our hose lines flow about 150 gallons of water a minute, so there would have been significantly more damages that could have also potentially impacted other residents in the complex. We can dry out your home, but we can’t unburn it.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Fargo, ND – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at apartment complex

Fargo Fire says a charging ebike battery caused a fire inside an apartment Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was reported just after 2 at an apartment at 1781 35th Street South, just east of I-29. The building’s sprinkler system activated and put the fire out. Fire damage was limited, but the unit has smoke and water damage as well.

The Fire Department says the ebike had a modified battery, and the owner left it unattended during charging.

People are encouraged to buy their ebikes from a reputable supplier, and not to modify the battery with aftermarket parts.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Johns, NL, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

The effects of a minor fire have displaced several residents of an apartment building in Pleasantville.

Fire crews were called to the building, on Charter Avenue, at about 10:00 p.m. on Monday evening. An unattended pot left on a stove had started a fire in the kitchen of a unit on the second floor. Dean Foley, Platoon Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, said that while the fire was quickly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, water continued to flow for some time, causing flooding in multiple units.

Maintenance personnel arrived to shut off the flow of water to the affected area of the building, which is owned by the City of St. John’s. Foley said that fourteen people in total were displaced from their apartments. The Canadian Red Cross were called to assist those who could not make alternate arrangements for accommodations.

No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Oregon, WI – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at three-story multi-residential building; No injuries reported

On the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 1, the Oregon Area Fire & EMS District was alerted to a fire alarm in the 100 block of Wolfe Street in the Village of Oregon. According to a Monday, Sept. 9 OAFED news release, Engine 2 arrived on the scene to find a three-story multi-residential building.

Upon investigating the cause of the alarm activation, the crew was alerted to a water flow alarm on the third floor, as indicated on the fire alarm panel. A tenant also notified them that water was coming from the ceiling on the second floor.

Crews located an unoccupied third-floor apartment full of smoke and an activated sprinkler head in the washer and dryer area. The sprinkler activation was due to a dryer fire with clothing inside. There was minimal fire extension to the structure and area of origin.

Smoke and water damage were caused to the apartment involved and the apartment below. The loss value is estimated at $10,000. The crew also located a dog in the apartment that was not harmed in this incident.

“The OAFED would like to take this time to stress the importance of commercial and residential sprinkler systems, and the lives and property in which they protect,” said Fire Chief Glenn Linzmeier. “With the use of the sprinkler system, no residents were displaced and no injuries were reported. It is also very important to remind everyone not to leave their appliances running unattended, such as dehumidifiers, dishwashers, and clothes dryers – this is a common cause of fires and can be easily prevented.

“As we move toward Fire Prevention Month, we encourage you to ensure that your houses are equipped with functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and that the batteries are changed twice a year.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Wilmington, DE – Sprinkler system activated for stovetop fire at high-rise apartment building

A stovetop fire Saturday afternoon led to Wilmington firefighters being sent to a high-rise apartment building.

Crews were dispatched to the 900 block of North Market Street around 3 p.m. for a report of a water flow alarm from the building’s sprinkler system.

When firefighters got to the 7th floor, they noticed water in the hall and determined that the sprinkler system in one of the apartments had activated.

Inside that apartment, they found the sprinklers had put out a fire on the stovetop.

Firefighters turned the sprinklers off, and electricity was turned off in that apartment and several others where water was found.

After Licenses and Inspections and building management determined all the water had been removed, electricity was turned back on.

Apartment Building, Residential

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment building

At 11:36 a.m. on Wednesday, September 4, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service received reports of fire at a two-storey apartment building in the 300 block of Ross Avenue.

When crews arrived on scene, they entered the structure and found smoke inside the building. When they located the fire, the sprinkler system was activated and had already knocked it down.

The building was evacuated because water from the sprinkler system caused damage to the structure. Firefighters helped some residents out of the building, while others self-evacuated.

The City of Winnipeg’s Emergency Social Services team was called to help approximately 44 displaced residents find temporary accommodations. A Winnipeg Transit bus was also deployed to provide shelter for residents.

Paramedics assessed one person at the scene and transported them to hospital in stable condition.

Damage estimates are not available at this time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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