Officials credit a sprinkler system for limiting the spread of an Appleton apartment fire. Crews were called to the units along the 400-block of North Richmond Street around 6:00 this morning on the report of a water flow alarm. They found that a fire had started in the vent hood of a microwave–but was put out by the sprinklers. The apartment was vacant at the time and was being cleaned out. No one was hurt. Damage is estimated at 60-thousand dollars.
Category Archives: Apartment Building
Roanoke Rapids, NC – Suspicious fire at apartment complex kept in check by sprinkler system
Captain Charles Vaught said in a statement, Sergeant J. Spragins was working off-duty at Chapel Ridge Apartments shortly before 6:30 p.m. when he heard a fire-alarm go off in one of the buildings of the complex.
He immediately started checking the building to ensure everyone was OK.
Upon smelling something burning in the building he began evacuation until he could determine the source of the smoke.
The fire department arrived and located the burning apartment.
With assistance from firefighters, detectives canvassed the apartment to determine what happened and were able to speak with the tenant who lives in the dwelling.
Detectives are currently investigating to determine if charges will be filed.
Roanoke Rapids Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Gray said this morning there were multiple areas of origin. In two of the areas ignited, two of the sprinkler heads activated. “There was a lot of water damage,” he said. “It was more water than fire damage.”
Gray said the sprinkler system kept the fire in check.
Firefighters from Station 2 observed smoke coming from the door of the apartment and made forced entry to check for anyone inside. There was no one in the dwelling.
Gray would only say the fire appeared to be suspicious and firefighters assisted the police department with the initial investigation before handing the matter over to investigators.
Some residents had to be relocated until the sprinkler system was restored.
English Woods, OH – Trash compactor fire at apartment complex put out by fire sprinklers
Crews responded to the 1900 block of Sutter Avenue in English Woods around 7:15 a.m. following a report of flames in the basement and smoke in the atrium at Marquette Manor apartments.
Firefighters found a fire in the trash compactor with smoke spreading through the building.
The fire was upgraded due to the size of the building and the number of residents. 81 firefighters were on the scene.
District Chief Curtis Goodman says the fire was contained by the sprinkler system and quickly extinguished by fire crews.
Goodman says residents sheltered in place until smoke was cleared from the building.
One resident was treated by paramedics on the scene but did not go to the hospital. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
Goodman says one resident tried to jump from a fourth-floor window but other residents and firefighters were able to convince that person to stay in their apartment and shelter in place.
Damage from the fire is estimated at $1,000.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Keene, NH – Mattress fire on second-floor of apartment put out by fire sprinklers
The fire at 26 Citizens Way was contained and extinguished thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, according to a news release from the department.
Firefighters were called shortly after 9:30 p.m. to a second-floor apartment in the eight-unit building. The occupants were out of the apartment, and Keene police helped evacuate the two adjacent units, the news release said. The fire was declared under control at 10 p.m.
Three people were displaced by the fire, fire officials said, and the fire alarm worked properly to alert people to leave the building.
Though the fire was contained to a bedroom, there was heat, smoke and water damage on the second floor and water and smoke damage on the first floor, the news release said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Damage to the building and contents is pegged at about $25,000. Part of the Keene Highland Housing complex, it’s a property of Southwestern Community Services.
Portage, MI – Arson fire in apartment basement extinguished by fire sprinklers
Robert Warren O’Brochta faces up to 40 years in prison for felony arson of a building and up to 12 years and six months in prison for felony first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
He is also charged with felony arson of property other than a building, which carries a maximum prison sentence of three years and six months.
According to the criminal complaint, Portage police responded to a fire alarm at the apartment building at 544 E. Slifer St. at 8:25 p.m., Dec. 24. Upon their arrival, they spoke to a resident who said he heard the alarm go off and went to the basement to see if anything was on fire. The witness saw flames in one of the storage units and ran back upstairs for a fire extinguisher. He returned to put out the fire and called 911.
The complaint states that police observed smoke throughout the bottom level of the building. An officer knocked on all of the apartment doors to make sure all the tenants were clear of the building. He opened the door to the basement and observed a large cloud of smoke, unable to tell if there was an active fire or not.
At the scene O’Brochta reportedly told an officer that he was the person who set the fire and the roommate of the person who called 911. O’Brochta admitted he had gone into the basement and set items on fire to get back at his roommate for antagonizing him. Officers obtained consent from the roommate to search the apartment and found the Bic lighter that O’Brochta said he used to set the fire.
Prior to admitting he set the fire, O’Brochta had approached an officer at the scene, dropped to his knees and placed his hands behind his head in a “surrender” position, according to the complaint. O’Brochta, who showed signs of intoxication, yelled for police to take him to jail and said he was the person they were looking for.
The complaint states the fire caused damage to an electrical wiring harness that ultimately cut power to four of the apartment units. The fire inspector determined two sprinkler heads went off and had extinguished the fire. The inspector said if the sprinklers were not activated, the fire would have done significant structural damage to one of the apartment units and possibly to much more of the building.
Property damaged in the storage unit reportedly included plastic chairs, a pop-up canvas canopy, a black hard case suitcase and possibly two bike tires.
O’Brochta, free after posting a $500 cash bond, has a pretrial conference scheduled for Jan. 21 in Columbia County Circuit Court.
Rockford, IL – Apartment fire on eighth floor contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported
The fire at Valkommen Plaza, 310 Seventh St. was reported shortly after 6 p.m., and was contained to the apartment by a sprinkler, according to a Rockford Fire Department news release.
The apartment had minor smoke damage, but substantial water damage extended to the second floor and is estimated to total $50,000.
The cause of the fire was accidental, according to the news release. One adult occupant of the building was relocated by the Red Cross.
Four engines and 29 firefighters responded.
Madison, WI – Parking garage fire quickly put out by fire sprinklers
The Ovation 309 building located on 309 Johnson Street in Madison had a fire in the parking garage Tuesday that was quickly put out by the sprinkler system, according to a Madison Fire Department Public Information Officer. They did not release the cause of the fire.
NBC15 obtained an email sent to Ovation residents Wednesday from the property manager.
The email stated an electrical component was damaged and caused the outage. It also stated “general and electrical contractors have been on-site all morning working hard to restore power.”
According to the email, the “best case scenario” is the issue will be repaired in two days. However, if parts are unavailable, power loss could extend to nearly a week.
Springfield, MA – Mattress fire on the 12th floor of apartment contained by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported
Springfield Fire Capt. Brian Tetreault told 22News that the sprinkler system went off on the 12th floor at 414 Chestnut Street, after a burning mattress was dragged out of an apartment and into the corridor shortly before 6:00 A.M.
No one was injured in the fire.
A stretch of Carew Street near the building was briefly closed by police while firefighters worked.
Harrisonburg, VA – Apartment fire kept in check thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported
Deputy Cheif Matt Tobia, with the Harrisonburg Fire Department, said officials arrived on the scene of a possible structure fire off of Woodbury Circle in the North 38 apartment complex around 6:30 p.m.
Chief Tobia said when crews arrived they could see smoke coming from the third floor of building 1093. Officials believe the fire started on the outside patio of the third floor.
He said when crews arrived the flames were almost completely extinguished thanks to the sprinkler system inside the apartment.
“Because of the location of the fire it could have very easily extended into the roof and burn the roof off of the structure,” Cheif Tobia said. “But one sprinkler head controlled the fire with less than just a few gallons of water.”
Chief Tobia said at all times a sprinkler system works just as well as a firefighter does until more crews can arrive on the scene.
Fire officials said no one was injured or displaced due to the fire. One engine will remain on the scene Wednesday night as crews investigate the cause.
Cheif Tobia said this is a real success story for the sprinkler system in the apartment.
Littleton, CO – Sprinkler system puts out apartment fire; No injuries reported
Sprinklers were able to put out the fire, however, some damage did occur during the fire.
At this time, there is no information on the amount of damage the fire caused.
No injuries were reported.
