“The area of origin for the fire was the back, right rear burner on range top. Radiant heat ignited the microwave and cabinetry directly above. Responding FD found no flames or smoke, burner still glowing red as it had not been turned off. Fire was extinguished by sprinkler head on ceiling approximately 10′ away from fire. “
Category Archives: Apartment Building
Madison, WI – Fourth floor apartment cooking fire extinguished by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported
Firefighters arrived to the 100 block of North Livingston Street at 6:15 p.m. Crews made their way to the fourth floor of an apartment building where they encountered water in the hallway.
According to an incident report, firefighters found that the building’s fire sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire. Officials said the water had also made its way to the apartments below.
The two occupants of the apartment told firefighters they were not injured.
According to the report, fire damage was minimal. Four apartment units sustained water damage from the sprinklers.
Stafford, VA – Single sprinkler head activates to control third-floor apartment fire; No injuries reported
Flames went up and a sprinkler system activated at a Stafford County apartment complex.
Fire crews were called Friday, April 11, 2020, at 6:22 a.m., to 855 Abberley Drive, near the Cavalier Family Skating Center, for a report of a fire in a third-floor apartment.
When they arrived, crews found smoke in the third-floor hallway, and fire in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment. The fire was extinguished before it could spread to other apartments, said county fire chief Joseph Cardello.
Several apartments sustained water damage, and a property management company was working to clean up and help the affected residents.
Smoke detectors activated the fire alarm for the entire building and a sprinkler head in the affected apartment activated. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Cardello.
Salisbury, MD – Sprinkler system controls apartment fire intentionally set by tenant; No injuries reported
According to the fire marshal’s office, crews with the Salisbury Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm call shortly before 11:30 p.m. at the Pine Bluff Village Apartments on Riverside Drive. While on their way, officials say the call was upgraded to a building fire.
Once on scene, crews says people were already evacuating. The fire was in a second floor apartment, being controlled by the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system. It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control.
The fire marshal’s office arrived on scene, and crews said they determined it was incendiary. Investigations determined the tenant was responsible for setting the fire in the apartment.
The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office arrested 38-year-old Alan Jackson Banks III at a nearby convenience store. Banks was charged with first-degree arson and reckless endangerment.
There were no reported injuries.
Abilene, TX – Eighth-floor apartment cooking fire controlled by sprinkler system
At about 9:20 p.m., fire crews were called to The Windsor Apartment Homes in the 400 block of Pine Street. A small cooking fire in an eighth-floor apartment had triggered the apartment’s sprinkler system, the release said.
“Once the fire extinguishment was confirmed, the fire department was able to shut off the sprinkler system to reduce the water damage,” the release said.
Water flowed down the hallway and also damaged nearby apartments, including at least one on the floor below, AFD spokeswoman Elise Roberts said.
Damages are estimated to be $5,000 due to the sprinkler activation, the release said.
Mt. Pleasant, WI – Fire sprinklers stop stove top fire from spreading in apartment; No injuries reported
At 2:45 p.m. Sunday, the Racine Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a fire in an upper apartment at 2328 Loni Lane, west of Highway 31, according to a Fire Department news release. Occupants were standing safely outside when firefighters arrived.
After arriving on scene, firefighters found an automatic fire sprinkler system spraying water from a single sprinkler head into the kitchen at the apartment, where a fire started on the stove top and had spread to the cabinets before the sprinkler system activated. A smoke alarm was sounding in the apartment.
Instead of battling what would most likely have been a fully involved apartment fire, firefighters had to merely turn off the main water control to the fire sprinkler system to stop further damage, Fire Department officials said.
The Red Cross was contacted to assist the four people in two apartments who were displaced due to the fire.
The tenants are expected to be able to return to their apartments within a few days.
The Fire Department said that lessons learned from the incident were:
- Fire sprinklers likely saved tenants and an apartment building from a catastrophic fire loss.
- Tenants involved in this fire did not have renter’s insurance, which would have helped protect them from the thousands of dollars of financial loss. Renter’s insurance also helps protect tenants from actions of neighbors, fire officials advised.
Crescent City, CA – Fourth floor apartment fire knocked down by fire sprinkler
Crews entered the building for fire attack and search and encountered a number of residents in the hallways and still inside their rooms. The ladder truck was positioned with the ladder to the fire apartment. The fire attack crew found the apartment full of smoke, but the fire had been extinguished by one sprinkler head that activated in the bedroom where the fire had burned a laundry basket of clothing and began to burn the mattress next to it. Search efforts continued as additional occupants were removed or sheltered in place on lower floors away from the fire location. The sprinkler system was shut down, smoke was removed from the building, and crews worked to protect property from water damage. The building electrical was also shutoff. Unfortunately, 12 occupants were displaced by the fire and subsequent water damage to apartments next to and below the fire apartment.
Del Norte County Office of Emergency Services assisted with Red Cross to temporarily house the 12 displaced occupants. Property management on scene was coordinating with an electrician to restore power to the undamaged apartments. Cleaning resources were also being brought in for water removal.
In addition to the three engines, one ladder truck, one rescue, and duty officer from Crescent City Fire and Rescue, Pelican Bay State Prison Fire Department and CALFIRE each were requested and responded with an engine. A total of 18 firefighters battled the fire. After investigation of the fire scene, the cause of the fire appears accidental from a dropped cigarette between the bed and laundry basket. Repairing the damage from the fire and sprinkler flow could be as much as $50,000.
“The sprinkler system did its job today at the Surf Apartments by quickly knocking down the fire. Without the fast response of a working automatic fire sprinkler system combined with the fire department response, this situation would have likely been tragic as the mostly elderly occupant population attempted to flee from what could have been a rapidly growing fire.” Bill Gillespie, Fire Chief
Savannah, GA – Fire sprinkler extinguishes apartment kitchen fire; No injuries reported
At 1:31 p.m. on Thursday, the Savannah Fire Department was dispatched to a fire in the 1400 Block of Barnes Drive in the Sustainable Fellwood residential complex. Engine 4 was first on scene.
The firefighters discovered that a kitchen fire triggered the sprinkler system inside an apartment. The sprinklers extinguished the fire, but flooded the apartment.
No one was injured, but the resident was displaced due to water damage. Firefighters made sure the fire was completely out and removed excess water from the apartment.
Wallingford, CT – Apartment fire controlled by fire sprinklers
The Record-Journal reports several apartments were water damaged when a fire broke out in a fourth-floor apartment, which activated several sprinklers. The sprinklers prevented the fire from spreading beyond the apartment unit where it originated, according to the Record-Journal.
The American Red Cross said Tuesday night that it is helping 14 families — 27 adults — after the fire. One resident suffered a burn injury, according to fire officials.
On arrival, the battalion chief “upgraded to a structure response bring all career and some units from the two volunteer stations as well as Meriden fire for mutual aid,” according to fire officials.
“Multiple sprinkler heads were activated holding the fire in check until companies could make their way in fully extinguish and ventilate building,” officials wrote in a post on Facebook.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Red Cross provided assistance to meet the families’ immediate needs. Responders included: Joyce Bullock; Elizabeth Webster; Susan Shaw; Evan Gailey; John Glendon; Patricia Breen.
“The Red Cross is also providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant; shaving supplies and other items a resident might need when suddenly displaced from their home by a fire,” officials said in a news release. “In addition, a recovery envelope containing information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup; notification of important contacts; dealing with damaged items and more was provided.
“Those affected will connect with Red Cross caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan. The Red Cross is able to provide assistance through the generosity of our donors and commitment of our volunteers.”
Winston-Salem, NC – Sprinkler system keeps stove fire from spreading throughout apartment
Four adults and three children were displaced after an apartment fire on Wednesday night.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at 185 Willow Oaks Drive at 10:22 p.m. and had the fire under control by 10:26 p.m.
One minor injury was reported.
The Winston-Salem Fire Department said a cooking fire got out of control.
A sprinkler system and stovetop countermeasures kept the fire from spreading to other apartments.
