Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Batesville, IN – Apartment kitchen fire put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Batesville Fire & Rescue responded to a report of a fire at an apartment unit in Romweber Flats around 9:10 a.m. Sunday.

Firefighters arrived on the third-floor unit and observed smoke and fire coming from the kitchen area. The fire was contained to the kitchen area due to the activation of the sprinkler system and the immediate actions taken by firefighters. Crews performed search and rescue efforts while also evacuating tenants of the complex for precautionary reasons.

The fire appeared to have started on or near the kitchen stove. Multiple apartment units suffered water damage from the sprinkler system. No injuries were reported.

Batesville Fire & Rescue reminds residents to keep things that can catch fire, such as paper or dish towels, at least three feet from the stove.

Mutual aid was received by Morris Volunteer Fire Department and Oldenburg Eagle Fire Company.

Apartment Building, Residential

Franklin, TX – Single sprinkler head extinguishes apartment fire started by a candle; No injuries reported

Clothing placed too close to a burning candle ignited an apartment fire this evening, according to Franklin Fire Lieutenant-Paramedic and Fire Investigator Michael Henderson.

Henderson said the fire started in the bathroom of a third-floor unit of the Cadence Cool Springs Apartments, located off of Carothers Parkway on Pacific Drive. He said an occupant was in the shower when the clothing caught fire and spread to a towel. The blaze was quickly extinguished by a single fire sprinkler head.

The fire sprinkler activation triggered an automatic fire alarm. The Franklin Fire Department was dispatched to the three-story, 24-unit apartment building at 5:46 PM. The fire was out when they arrived.

No one was hurt. Henderson said the apartment complex is assisting the displaced residents.

Apartment Building, Residential

Palatine, IL – Dryer fire from built up lint put out by apartment fire sprinkler; No injuries reported

Built up lint in a clothes dryer was deemed the cause of an accidental fire inside a Palatine apartment Thursday, Aug. 27.

According to fire officials, at 11:19 a.m., crews responded to the report of a fire at 1205 N. Sterling Ave., located between Dundee Road and Northwest Highway west of Quentin Road in Palatine.

The first crews arrived on the scene at 11:23 a.m. and were told by maintenance that there was a fire in unit 110. Fire department crews made access to the first floor and found smoke and water in the hallway.

Upon entering the unit, fire crews found that an automatic fire sprinkler system had activated. A single sprinkler head activation extinguished the fire and limited damage to the rest of the unit, fire officials said. The fire was declared under control at 11:30 a.m.

Firefighters continued to perform salvage, overhaul, and investigative activities for some time after that. No civilians or firefighters were injured in the fire, which was contained to the apartment’s closet.

Damage was estimated at about $10,000 and the unit was ruled uninhabitable for the three residents due to smoke damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Longview, TX – Apartment fire extinguished by fire sprinklers

A small fire appears to have begun in a closet at the Churchill of Longview Apartments, according to Kevin May with Longview Fire Department.

The fire began at about 8:42 a.m. Friday, at the 1500 block of E. Whaley Street. May said the small fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system.

May reports the damage was minimal with mostly water damage caused by the sprinkler. There were no injuries to the two people home at the time of the fire.

May said it appears to have been an accidental fire and the cause is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Burlington, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes third-floor apartment fire

An early Thursday afternoon apartment fire displaced residents at the Fox Crossing Apartments on Bridge Street along the city’s riverfront.

All occupants were safely evacuated from the multi-unit apartment complex at 180 Bridge St., with one resident sustaining burns and being transported to Aurora Burlington Medical Center, the City of Burlington Fire Department confirmed Friday. 

City Fire Chief Alan Babe reported that the fire was contained to one third-floor apartment, where sprinklers extinguished the blaze.

“We got a general (automatic) fire alarm at 12:33 hours,” Babe said. “Prior to us going en route, we got a call back from Racine County Communications Center that a proper pass code was given to clear the alarm, so I had the cancel tones set off. What ended up eventually happening is we were re-toned for smoke in the building.

“We were on scene at 12:40 and first crews in realized we did have an active fire at one point in Unit Number 306. Sprinklers were activated, with some water damage. Evacuation was already in progress upon our arrival,” Babe said.

A press release from Babe on Friday morning said the activation of the fire sprinkler system stopped the fire from engulfing the third-floor unit within minutes and expanding quickly to the other apartments.

“Without the fire sprinkler system in place, the aftermath would have been devastating, resulting in serious risk to life or even total property damage,” Babe said.

Burlington Police Department Lt. Brian Zmudzinski reported that 180 Bridge St. has 32 apartments with approximately 65 to 70 occupants.

Babe reported that displaced residents from the four-story complex were initially gathered together in the community room at the neighboring Fox Crossing Apartments building at 120 Bridge St.

“We do have EMS personnel with all the residents at this time,” Babe said at the scene, adding that COVID precautions were being taken and that pharmaceutical medication, food and hydration needs of residents were “being taken care of.”

Red Cross called

Babe said that some residents would be allowed to return to the apartment building in certain areas deemed safe to do so. But he added there “are going to be some permanent displacements” in an unknown number of units due to water damage.

The chief said he had been in contact with the American Red Cross regarding “proper accommodations” for any possible permanent displacements in connection with the incident, noting it was likely that some displaced residents might find accommodations with friends or family.

“We’re looking long-term if we have to put people up for a period of time … to make sure that they’re taken care of. We have those plans in place,” Babe said.

Firefighters continued helping displaced residents collect belongings and pets well into Thursday evening. Damage estimates were not available and the incident remained under investigation as of Friday.

As part of the incident response, Babe said the City of Burlington Fire Department set up a unified command system with the Burlington Police Department and responding fire departments. Multiple emergency units were on scene, including units from the Town of Burlington, Rochester, Lake Geneva, Salem Lakes and the Racine Fire Bells Emergency Services Support and Rehab unit. Babe said city staff, including the mayor, city administrator and public works crews were also on scene.

“We had good representation,” he said. “Everybody’s working together.”

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office and We Energies crews also assisted at the scene.

Babe said the cause of the fire is under investigation. There was no estimate on the dollar amount of damage to the apartment building as of Wednesday afternoon.

Apartment Building, Residential

Austell, GA – Fire sprinklers extinguish apartment fire after woman sets boyfriends closet

A Cobb County woman is charged with arson after authorities said she set fire to a bedroom closet during a fight with her boyfriend over the weekend.

Nioyca Nicole Lusega, 40, was arrested Saturday morning, less than three hours after firefighters responded to a blaze at the couple’s Austell apartment, investigators said.

Crews were called to the Lake Crossing Apartments along Riverside Parkway about 6 a.m. after the fire began during a domestic dispute, Cobb fire’s chief investigator Brian Beaty told AJC.com.

“The fire suppression system extinguished the fire, fortunately. But that did not negate the intent or the endangerment part,” Beaty said. “It was a multi-family dwelling, and that’s where it gets a little more complicated than just setting your boyfriend’s stuff on fire.”

Though the apartment’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before crews arrived, several of Lusega’s neighbors suffered water damage in their units, authorities said.

Lusega, who faces one count of first-degree arson, remains held in the Cobb County Jail on a $27,720 bond, online records show.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chapel Hill, NC – Sprinkler system contains apartment grease fire

The Chapel Hill Fire Department responded at 5:22 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, to an automatic fire alarm at 201 S. Elliott Road, the Berkshire Chapel Hill Apartments.

A resident was cooking when grease in a pot on the stove ignited. The fire triggered the sprinkler system and automatic fire alarm. The resident was treated at the scene by Orange County EMS.

The response consisted of 11 fire personnel from Chapel Hill on two Engines, one Ladder, and two Battalion Chiefs. Chapel Hill Police assisted with scene safety and security.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Fire sprinklers extinguish overnight apartment fire

A Madison apartment resident was injured after a fire broke out in their unit overnight, says the Madison Fire Department.

Firefighters arrived at the apartment building on the 1000 block of North High Point Road around 12:45 a.m. Monday. They said several people were already leaving the 24-unit building when they arrived.

The fire had been extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system in the building, according to the Madison Fire Department.

They said a resident in the unit where the fire originated was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Minor damage was limited to the unit and the unit below it, says MFD. Three people displaced from the lower unit are being helped by the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rock Springs, WY – Apartment fire stopped by fire sprinkler system

The Rock Springs Fire Department responded to two apartment fires in the Village at Silver Ridge on Saturday, according to Fire Chief Jim Wamsley.

Wamsley said crews responded to the first fire just after 3 pm when initial reports indicated that a sprinkler system had been activated from a report by the alarm monitoring company.

Upon arrival, responding crews gained access to apartment 205, noting that the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler activation system. Crews stopped the water flow at the head and checked for any remaining hot spots and possible extension to adjacent apartment units and the apartment immediately above the fire floor.

No damage or fire extension was found. The cause of the fire was determined to be an unattended grill on the balcony. The fire suppression system was tagged out of service and the management of the apartment facility was given instructions to maintain a fire watch until such time as the fire suppression system could be repaired and brought back into normal operation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Addison, TX (no media coverage) – Single sprinkler head contains apartment fire; No injuries reported

We had another save over the weekend. Our crews responded to a reported automatic alarm and after investigation found water and smoke in an individual apartment. The occupant was asleep and not responsive and did not awake to either the smoke alarms or water activation of the one sprinkler head. He woke up after crews made entry into his apartment and he was escorted down stairs with no injury. The building value is around 45 Million. That is the 4th sprinkler save we have had in the last six months in Addison.