Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Tulsa, OK – Sprinkler system contains fire at apartment complex until fire crews arrive; No injuries reported

Fire crews were called to the scene of a fire that broke out at the Woodward Park Apartments on Wednesday morning.

Crews were able to put the fire out just before noon and firefighters say this may an arson situation. Investigators with the Tulsa Fire Department say the exact cause of the fire is still undetermined but investigators believe it is related to someone trying to steal gas. Firefighters say a drill and a gas can were found in the garage where the fire broke out.

According to fire crews, two cars caught fire in a garage beneath an apartment unit.

Officials say the garage sprinkler system helped manage the fire until crews arrived on the scene. There was no damage to apartments and no injuries were reported. Investigators say they do not have any suspects at this time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The building’s sprinkler system did its job and the fire department handled the rest after a fire sparked in an apartment in central Kelowna this morning.

The Kelowna Fire Department was called to the scene in the 1700 block of Ethel Street around 10:30 am and found the fire in a unit on the first floor of the four-storey building.

According to Platoon Captain Scott Clarke, the sprinkler system had activated and suppressed the fire to the stove top of the unit.

“Firefighters entered the unit and completed extinguishment,” he said.

The fire has been deemed accidental in nature.

While there was no one home in the unit affected by the minor blaze, the rest of the building was evacuated and Clarke said no injuries were reported.

There was some fire and water damage to the single unit and some general water damage to the first floor.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lethbridge, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at four story apartment complex; No injuries reported

Around $75,000 worth of damage was done thanks to a fire in a four-storey apartment complex in the city on Friday night.

Lethbridge Fire and EMS officials say they got to the scene on Highlands Boulevard West approximately 8:30, and were met with a majority of residents already evacuated, and smoke showing from the third story on the north east side of the complex.

The building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire, and crews were able to quickly search all other floors and determine there was no risk to the rest of the building.

No one was injured as a result of the fire, and all but two of the apartments were able to safely house residents again, with the buildings fire suppression system intact and smoke alarm system fully operational.

The investigation into the cause of the fire remains ongoing.

Apartment Building, Residential

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

An interior sprinkler system helped to douse a Monday morning fire at an apartment complex, according to Roanoke County emergency services.

Firefighters were summoned to the Ridgeview Apartments on Hawthorne Road around 10 a.m. by E-911 reports of smoke and water being emitted from a second-story apartment. There they found unattended cooking materials in a unit whose resident was not present.

The apartment’s sprinkler system had already contained the fire. The incident caused water damage to four units in the multistory residential complex and smoke damage to the apartment where the fire originated.

The Roanoke County fire marshal estimated damages at $25,000. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Grease fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

The Charleston Fire Department (CFD) is crediting a sprinkler system with preventing a grease fire from spreading throughout a West Ashley apartment complex.

According to CFD, reports of a fire at 35 Folly Luxury Apartments came in just before 1:00 a.m. Monday.

Crews from CFD as well as St. Andrews and James Island Fire departments responded, along with Charleston County EMS and Charleston police.

Upon arrival, firefighters found remnants of a grease fire in a fourth-floor apartment.

The fire had been put out by a sprinkler and fire damage was contained to the kitchen of that apartment. One additional unit sustained water damage.

Investigators determined that the occupant of the apartment were cooking when a pot of grease caught fire. An occupant attempted to put out the fire using a bucket of water, which did not work.

CFD said that grease fires should never be extinguished with water, flour, or other similar items. Instead, they should be snuffed out by covering them with a pot lid.

Apartment Building, Residential

Salt Lake City, UT – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire

Fire crews responded to a minor apartment fire Sunday afternoon.

According to Salt Lake City Fire Captain Tony Stowe, a single apartment unit caught fire at 761 S 300 East around 12:15 p.m.

Crews arrived and took down the fire quickly.

The sprinkler system activated and helped to extinguish the fire.

The fire didn’t spread into other units but had damages related to evacuating the building.

Stowe said that one woman and child had smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.

The cause and cost of damages are being investigated.

The Red Cross of Utah helped residents who were displaced.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Stove fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire that broke out in a Mayo Drive apartment while no one was home was caught quickly and extinguished by an automatic fire sprinkler.

Engine Co. 7 responded to the building to investigate the fire alarm that was sounding. Residents told firefighters there may have been a fire in one of the units. Crews went inside and found water leaking out from under one of the apartment doors. Upon entry to the unit, Engine Co. 7 found a box of napkins on the stovetop that was charred due to the electrical burner being turned on. Firefighters removed the napkins and turned off the burner. The apartment was ventilated to clear the air.

Firefighters located the occupant, who stated she remembers placing the box of napkins on the stove before leaving home. The burner may have been accidentally bumped prior to her leaving the apartment.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norfolk, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fourth floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

A fire in a waterfront apartment building in Norfolk has – at least temporarily – displaced all of its residents. 

The fire alarm in the building went off at about 4:50 p.m. in “The Roebuck” in the 500 block of Front Street, across the street from the offices of PETA.

We’re still waiting for more official information from Norfolk Fire and Rescue, but the department’s Public Information Officer told us the fire was contained to one apartment and the sprinkler system was activated and caused water damage. 

A producer who works here at 13News Now lives in the building and tells us that the fire appears to have started in an apartment on the fourth floor.

According to our producer, everyone self-evacuated from the building. She also said she was told there were no injuries.

There’s been no word from the building’s management company about the extent of damage and when repairs might take place. We also don’t know exactly how many people were displaced.

This is the second time in two days in which a large number of residents in an apartment building have been displaced by a relatively minor fire. On Saturday, a fire broke out in the kitchen in an apartment the Heron’s Landing complex in Chesapeake displacing several residents. In this instance, the sprinkler system was also activated and caused damage to at least 30 apartments.

This is a developing story. We’ll update it once we get more information.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lafayette, IN – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire; No injuries reported

Lafayette Fire responded to a call just after 9 p.m. Sunday regarding an apartment fire.

Lafayette Fire confirmed to News 18 at the scene that a smoke alarm went off at a ground floor apartment at 1740 Salem Street in Lafayette.

The fire was contained to the front room of the apartment.

It was quickly put out.

Nobody was injured.

First responders say the apartment will likely be uninhabitable for the time being due to smoke damage and water damage from the sprinkler system.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.