Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Sarnia, ON, Canada – Apartment fire quickly extinguished by sprinkler system

Two separate high-rise apartment fires kept firefighters busy on Tuesday.

Sarnia Fire and Rescue Services said just after 11 a.m., a stove caused a fire in a unit at 1285 Sandy Lane, while one person was at home. The fire was extinguished and the smoke was cleared from the unit.

Firefighters responded to a second fire just before 4 p.,m. in an apartment building at 810 Trillium Park after a garbage dumpster caught fire. The blaze was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. Fire crews removed the garbage bin from the building and ventilated the smoke.

No one was injured during either fire.

Fire officials have not released the causes or damage estimates for the fires.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system contained grease fire inside apartment building

A sprinkler system managed to contain a grease fire inside a Rockford apartment building.

The Rockford Fire Department responded to the 2200 block of 8th Street around 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. Investigators say the tenant was cooking when her pan caught on fire and spread flames toward the bottom of a kitchen cabinet. She attempted to put out the fire, but burned herself while moving the pan. She, then, ran outside with her two children.

The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire in the grease pan. Crews extinguished a small fire that was still burning on the cabinet. The estimated loss from damages is $25,000. 

The tenant had a minor burn on her arm from moving the pan. Everyone is expected to be ok. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Everett, WA – Sprinkler system activated in third floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

Fire that broke out in a third story apartment was quickly stopped by the sprinkler system at the Camelot Apartments in south Everett Sunday afternoon.

Just before 6:00 PM fire alarms sounded and multiple sprinkler heads were activated in a third floor apartment and hallway.

Arriving crews from Everett Fire and mutual aid from South County Fire arrived to people evacuating the building with some smoke on the third floor.

The fire that had started in a third floor unit was out and apartments directly below that unit suffered water damage.

Three families were being assisted with temporary housing from the Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

An Everett Fire Investigator is on site working to determine the cause of the fire. There were no injuries.

A damaged estimate was not available at the time of this writing.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lyons, NY – Sprinkler system activated for mattress fire in apartment building

A New York woman was arrested Sunday after she tried to kill a bed bug and set off her apartment building’s sprinkler system.

Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies said Jacquline Lynch, 39, was in her apartment Sunday morning when she tried to kill a bed bug using a lighter. Lynch allegedly put a lighter on a mattress to kill a bug after her uncle had sprayed areas of the apartment with alcohol.

The mattress caught fire, setting off the sprinkler system and damaging the inside of her apartment, as well as several others in the building.

Lynch was arrested and charged with fourth-degree arson. She was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Apartment Building, Residential

Paterson, NJ – Sprinkler system extinguished fire in 13-story apartment building

Two residents of the Colt Arms apartments suffered smoke inhalation early Friday morning when a fire broke out in the ninth-floor garbage chute in one of Paterson’s tallest buildings, officials said.

The sprinkler system in the 13-story structure extinguished the blaze, but there was smoke and water damage in some homes, said deputy fire chief Michael Fleming.

Residents of the ninth floor were evacuated from their apartments and waited in the lobby area for about an hour until firefighters cleared the scene, Fleming said.

Authorities have not identified the cause of the fire, which was reported at 1:17 p.m., officials said.

Apartment Building, Residential

McKinney, TX – (no media coverage) Garage fire at apartment complex contained by sprinkler system

** No Media Coverage – FD Reported ** The McKinney Fire Department was called to a reported structure fire at approximately 7:45 a.m. today, Feb. 28, at the Orion McKinney Apartments, 2581 Collin McKinney Pkwy. The resident in the apartment reported heavy smoke coming from the garage area. Activation of a garage fire sprinkler contained the fire and eventually extinguished it. Everyone got out safely. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“Garage fires can spread farther and cause more injuries and property loss than fires in other parts of your home,” said McKinney Fire Marshal Mike Smith. “Make sure flammable items like gas, paints and propane are properly stored.”

Fact: Every year there are 6,600 garage fires in homes that result in an average of 30 deaths and $457 million in property loss.

More safety information can be located at www.mckinneyfire.org or www.nfpa.org.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system contained fire at apartment complex until fire crews arrived

Rockford firefighters were called to the Faust Landmark Apartments, 630 East State Street, around 8 p.m. Friday night.  A fire was located on the 9th floor of the building.  A building sprinkler system helped contain the fire until firefighters arrived.  

An adult male resident was helped out of the apartment by a Metro Enforcement officer that was working on site.  He was taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.  No firefighters were hurt.

The Red Cross helped two adults relocate. The fire remains under investigation. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Ithaca, NY – Laundry fire at off-campus apartments contained by sprinkler system

A blaze filled a Summerhill apartment laundry room Saturday afternoon after flames were sparked by a buildup of lint, according to an Ithaca Fire Department press release. The fire torched a stacked washer-dryer unit, charring parts of the top and side of the machine. Smoke tripped the building’s alarm system, notifying the apartment residents of the fire. The first-floor apartment emitted smoke, but the Ithaca Fire Department credited the sprinkler system for containing the flames within the laundry room.

After all occupants were confirmed to be out of the building, firefighters worked for around 10 minutes to extinguish the fire and ventilate the smoke. The crews then worked to shut off the sprinkler, remove the water and investigate the cause of the fire. Officials attributed the source of the fire to lint that had accumulated in a machine’s lint trap, and cautioned residents to diligently clean their lint traps and surrounding areas to avoid similar outcomes. The fire department lauded the working sprinkler and alarm systems for containing the situation. Ithaca codes requires dwellings to have working fire alarms near bedrooms and operational sprinkler systems.

Apartment Building, Residential

Plymouth, NH – Apartment fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Dozens of residents of a Plymouth apartment building were displaced after a fire Saturday morning.

The fire started in a kitchen on the third floor of Plymouth Terrace Apartments, a 30-unit building at 36 Adrians Way, the Plymouth Fire Department said in a press release. An automatic sprinkler system knocked down most of the blaze, and fire damage was contained to the unit.

The Red Cross and the town have set up shelter at Plymouth Town Hall to help those displaced.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system activated for porch fire at apartment complex

Port Royal fire crews respond to a porch fire at a Lowcountry apartment on Friday morning.

Firefighters with the City of Beaufort-Town of Port Royal Fire Department and the Burton Fire District responded to the 1000 building at the Preserve at Port Royal apartment community.

Upon their arrival, fire crews say found a porch fire on the second story of the apartment building.

Fire crews say “damage was mostly limited to the porch but the heat also broke the windows between the porch and the apartment so there was smoke and minor heat damaga inside the apartment along with some water damage.”

Deputy chief of operations, Tim Ogden, says porch fires are an area of concern for the fire crew

“At the time these units were constructed the code required a residential sprinkler system which is in each apartment here,” Ogden said. “However, residential systems are designed by code to save lives by giving occupants time to escape a fire, not fully protect the property. The code did not require a sprinkler head on the porch and these porches are thus unprotected and susceptible to fire damage.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.