Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Trenton, MO – Sprinkler system activated for deck fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

On October 23, 2023, at approximately 12:28 a.m., a structural fire broke out at 2414 Oklahoma Ave, Apartment 10. The incident, which lasted roughly two hours, drew an immediate response from local emergency services after a 911 notification was received.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met with smoke and visible flames emanating from the rear deck of the apartment. The property, owned by Morse & Sons and occupied by Samantha Lynch and Eryn Howe, suffered moderate damage, primarily confined to the rear deck and siding.

Lt. Derek Hert said firefighting personnel deployed a 1 ¾ inch attack line, successfully extinguishing the fire. Firefighters then employed a thermal imaging camera to inspect the area for potential fire extensions, but none were found. The crew stayed on-site, aiding the Missouri Division of Fire Safety Fire Investigators in determining the cause and assessing the overall scene.

One notable factor in the incident’s management was the activation of the exterior fire sprinkler system serving the deck area. This system played a role in suppressing the fire, significantly limiting its spread and potential for more extensive damage.

While there were no injuries reported, the incident left the property with moderate damage. The Missouri Division of Fire Safety Fire Investigators have since attributed the cause to improper disposal of smoking materials.

Support was also received from several other departments, including the Grundy County Ambulance, Trenton Police Department, and the MO Division of Fire Safety Fire Investigation unit.

Apartment Building, Residential

Dayton, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire on apartment building balcony

A fire broke out on the balcony of a new downtown Dayton apartment building shortly after 12:35 p.m. Tuesday, resulting in a large response from fire and emergency medical personnel.

The blaze occurred on the balcony of a fifth floor apartment in the Monument building, which is a 124-unit residential structure located along Monument Avenue, across from RiverScape MetroPark. The Monument opened in the spring.

Fire officials and residents in the building said fire and EMS crews arrived on the scene within minutes, and the blaze was quickly extinguished.

One of the Dayton Fire Department’s fire stations is located about a block away, at North Main Street and Monument Avenue.

District fire Chief Nicholas Judge said the Monument’s balconies have water sprinklers, and the fire suppression activated, which helped battle the fire.

Firefighters entered the unit and completely knocked out the blaze using fire extinguishers.

“We don’t have a whole lot of information yet — we’re still trying to figure out what happened,” Judge said.

The fire started to extend up to the balcony above, but the exterior sprinkler head “did its job and pretty much held the fire in check,” he said.

Judge said the fire damaged and broke the balcony door, but there appears to be minimal smoke damage to the fifth floor apartment.

“Everybody was very lucky, and it’s a newer constructed building that’s completely up to code, and the outside sprinkler did its job and averted a much bigger catastrophe,” he said. “We had crews on scene very, very quickly.”

Karla White, 48, who lives on the sixth floor of the Monument, left her apartment and headed outside when she heard the alarm.

At first, she assumed it was a fire drill. But the large fire response made it clear this was the real deal. She also saw water gushing from the fifth floor balcony.

White just finished moving into her apartment on Monday. She said she moved to the Monument because she fell in love with the kitchen and she really likes how close she lives to RiverScape and downtown’s shopping and dining options and amenities.

“We have wonderful neighbors too,” she said. “We’re really happy here.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in three-story apartment building; No injuries reported

Yesterday, Los Angeles firefighters managed a fire in a Vermont-Slauson apartment building.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reports the fire ignited within a second-floor unit of the three-story building.

A fire sprinkler in the unit helped contain the blaze until firefighters arrived to douse it.

From the time of the alarm sounding to the extinguishing of the blaze, thirteen minutes passed. The occupants of the apartment complex evaded injury. Currently, the fire’s cause is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Cedar Rapids, IA – Fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department is investigating into the cause of an apartment fire.

Emergency crews arrived at the complex on 59 Miller Ave SE Friday at around 7:00 p.m. to see the fire already put out from the building’s sprinkler system.

The firefighters say the sprinkler system was crucial in preventing the flames from spreading.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashville, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire on apartment building 27th floor; No injuries reported

The Nashville Fire Department (NFD) said 350 units were displaced after a fire broke out at a downtown apartment complex on Sunday morning.

NFD said a kitchen fire started on the 27th floor of the 505 apartment complex. The sprinkler in the unit put the fire out, however, the water caused the unit to flood and created another electrical fire.

“A resident had placed a wicker basket on a stove that had burned, and their sprinkling system did activate so that fire was technically out upon arrival of our crews, but that water had begun to flow throughout that unit and the floor, because of the sprinkler activation,” Kendra Loney with NFD said.

Firefighters said the water poured into an electrical room and sparked another fire on the 24th floor.

“There were multiple fires that started throughout the building, and they had to be put out, the sprinkler system did what it was set to do, but water and electricity just don’t work,” Loney said.

NFD said 528 units were evacuated. the unit the fire started in is significantly damaged and several units have water damage.

“Honestly we thought it was like one of those drills,” said Eya Dufresne, a 505 resident. “I woke up to the fire department knocking on our door and saying you have to be evacuated. We had like what felt like minutes to be out.”

Dufresne and her boyfriend Chris Clark had to rush out of their 26th-floor apartment at 505 Church Street.

“We had 52 flights of stairs to go down and we had to bring our 40-pound dog down,” Clark said.

Even though Clark and Dufresne brought their dog down, they had one other worry.

“I’m a little nervous, we brought our dog down, but we left our cat,” Dufresne said.

While firefighters worked to make sure that some of the units were safe to re-enter, Dufresne prayed for her cat, Pluto.

“Things could come and go, but as long as Pluto is okay, we’ll be fine,” Dufresne said.

NFD said no one in the building was hurt. People living on floors 30 through 45 were able to go back inside, but those living on floors 3 through 29 were not let back inside and NFD said it could be a couple of days before they can return.

NFD added that floors 3 through 29 will remain without power and that the building remains on a fire watch.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kenosha, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire; No injuries reported

An apartment fire in Pleasant Prairie was successfully extinguished by the building’s sprinkler Tuesday evening, resulting in no injuries according to the Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue Department.

According to a department social media release, at about 6:21 p.m., the department received a report of a fire alarm at an apartment complex in the 8200 block of 88th Ave. On arrival, crews found nothing showing.

Crews entered the building and determined there was water flow on the first floor. Upon reaching the apartment the crews opened the door and found a room full of smoke.

Upon entering the apartment it was determined the sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire. Crews remained on the scene for approximately an hour performing ventilation. Once the smoke was removed from the building occupants were allowed to return. No injuries were reported.

Aid was received from the Kenosha Fire Department, Bristol Fire Department, Somers Fire Department, Paris Fire Department, Salem Lakes Fire & Rescue, Winthrop Harbor Fire, Beach Park Fire, Newport Fire and Zion Fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

Residents from two Winnipeg apartment blocks evacuated their homes after fires started in each of the buildings.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service arrived at 207 Edmonton St. on Sunday after a kitchen fire in one of the building’s 40 suites activated the fire alarm, district chief Terry Kelly told CBC at the scene.

Crews arrived and found light smoke and water flowing from the building. Sprinklers put out most of the fire, but crews extinguished the rest of the flames, Kelly said.

Fire damage is limited to the one suite, but units below have extensive water damage, he added.

“The sprinkler activation puts a lot of water out very fast ,and that’s what we’re dealing with is cleaning up the water on the floors below,” he said.

Residents of the building — which houses single newcomer women and their children, according to its website — evacuated before crews arrived just after 1 p.m., a news release from the city says.

Crews had the fire under control within 45 minutes, and no injuries were reported.

The city’s emergency social services responded to help residents find temporary living accommodations.

The cause of the fire appears to be an accident, the city says.

Apartment Building, Residential

Boise, ID – Sprinkler system extinguished apartment fire caused by cigarette

A man went to the hospital with minor injuries and 12 people were displaced after an apartment fire Monday afternoon, the Boise Fire Department said.

The fire began in a plastic trash can, after someone threw away a cigarette, and spread to a recliner, the department said in a Facebook post. It occurred at Capitol Plaza, a public housing building for seniors at 700 W. Cunningham Place in the North End.

Firefighters responded at 2:45 p.m. after a woman in an apartment near the unit where the fire began smelled smoke and called 911, according to the department. When crews arrived, they found the recliner on fire and a man on the floor in a fifth floor apartment. An ambulance took the man to the hospital with minor injuries, the department said, but a sprinkler extinguished the fire and stopped its spread.

“Working fire sprinklers saved at least one life and prevented significant structural damage,” the Facebook post said.

Boise Fire spokesperson Lynsey Amundson told the Idaho Statesman in an email that residents were displaced by water damage to the fourth and third floor apartments.

Apartment Building, Residential

The Woodlands, TX – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at apartment complex

Around 9 AM, Tuesday morning, residents at the Timbermill Apartments on Sawdust Road were alerted to a fire in their three story building when fire sprinklers activated over two separate fires in a 3rd floor apartment. The sprinkler activations triggered a water flow alarm and fire crews from The Woodlands and South Montgomery County Fire Departments soon arrived to find residents evacuating and smoke coming from the building.

Firefighters made their way up to the smoke filled apartment and began searching for the source of the fire and any remaining occupants. They quickly discovered that two of the building’s fire sprinklers had activated, one over a fire in the living room and one over a fire in a walk-in closet. Firefighters also observed evidence that the fire was intentionally set and immediately secured the area as the first of several fire investigators arrived on scene.

After insuring that the fire was out, firefighters shut down the fire sprinkler system and turned their attention to salvaging resident’s belongings on the floors below the fire. MCFMO Investigators spent several hours examining the scene and interviewing witnesses before placing the resident of the apartment, 28 yr old Jasmine Johnson, under arrest for setting the fires.

The investigation continues into the circumstances and motive behind the fire, but there is no further danger to the public at this time. MCFMO Investigators are currently booking Ms. Johnson into the Montgomery County Jail on 1st degree felony arson charges, where she will be held on a $250,000 bond.

MCFMO Inspection personnel worked with apartment management to insure that the building’s fire sprinkler system was restored to service and that the remaining residents would be protected once they are able to return to their apartments.

Montgomery County first enacted a County Fire Code in 2008 when Commissioner’s Court issued an order adopting the International Fire Code, a consensus safety standard that requires all new and remodeled apartment buildings be equipped with fire sprinkler and alarm systems.

Without these modern safety systems, a fire like this could easily have led to injuries and even deaths, as well as significant property damage. National fire sprinkler statistics reveal that approximately 90% of fires in sprinklered buildings are controlled by the first sprinkler head that activates.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The 911 dispatch call came in at 8:41 a.m. to the complex, located at 10670 14th AVE SW (map below).

Multiple crews were able to extinguish the flames and isolate the hallway sprinkler system.

At this time, there are no reports of injuries, but some residents will be temporarily displaced due to smoke, fire, and water damage. Red Cross was requested, and the King County Regional Housing Authority was on scene to coordinate assistance efforts for tenants.

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