Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – fire at apartment building extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Rochester Fire Department is crediting an automatic sprinkler system for preventing a fire at a Rochester apartment building from spreading.

The fire was reported at 3731 Technology Drive Northwest. A Fire Department news release says the initial call was made by the building’s alarm system and was followed by multiple 911 calls that confirmed flames and smoke were present. When firefighters arrived at the scene just before 2 PM they found smoke, fire, and water spray from the sprinkler system coming from a window on the fourth floor of the building.

The responding firefighters rushed to the fourth floor while a firefighter on an aerial ladder inspected the roof for signs of a fire extension. They discovered the sprinkler system had done its job and extinguished the fire after confining it to a single apartment unit. Fans were then deployed to remove the smoke and other equipment was brought in to remove the water from the sprinkler system.

No injuries were reported and a dollar estimate of the damage is not yet available. The fire department also did not list a cause for the fire but it appears it started on the stovetop.

Apartment Building, Residential

Wylie, TX – Fire at apartment building contained by sprinkler system

An apartment building in Wylie is damaged after a fire on Wednesday morning.

According to the Wylie Fire Department, the incident occurred at 1315 West Brown Street at approximately 4:10 a.m.

Officials said a three story apartment building had smoke showing on the third floor.

The sprinkler system was able to suppress the blaze before firefighters could arrive on the scene, officials said.

According to officials, cats were evacuated from the third floor unit, and the second floor unit sustained water damage.

Officials said the attic and roof were unharmed.

Apartment Building, Residential

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Kitchen fire at apartment building quickly extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews had a busy Sunday, as they battled three different blazes in 10 hours across Winnipeg.

Just after midnight, a vacant home on Arlington Avenue caught fire. The same house was also the scene of a fire about a year ago.

Then at about 2:30 yesterday morning, a three storey apartment building on De La Seigneurie Boulevard was evacuated when the building’s sprinkler system extinguished a kitchen fire.

The third fire happened around 10 a.m. at a commercial building on Gateway Road. It was limited to a small room and only took a few minutes to put out.

No one was hurt in any of the incidents and all of them are under investigation.

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.