Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Leesburg, VA – Sprinkler system controls apartment fire caused by unattended candles

Two adults and two dogs were displaced from a fire in a Leesburg apartment building that started by unattended candles and spread to window treatments, according a Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company (LVFD) Facebook post.

On Wednesday evening, August 3, at approximately 11:50 p.m., Leesburg and surrounding fire companies were alerted for a structure fire at 654 Fort Evans Rd. NE.

Leesburg responded with two engine companies, one truck company, and the rescue company.

Units arrived to find a three-story garden apartment building with a small fire inside a ground floor apartment. The fire started by unattended candles and spread to some window treatments.

The majority of the fire was controlled by the sprinkler system prior to the LVFD’s arrival.

Crews ensured the fire was out and checked for extension while ventilating the smoke.

Two adults and two dogs were displaced and assisted by the American Red Cross.

One firefighter sustained an injury to the hand and was treated on scene, according to LVFD.

“The LVFC asks you to please remember – do not leave lit candles unattended!” LVFD posted on Facebook.

Apartment Building, Residential

Moline, IL – Fire at apartment complex controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries

Around 2:30 p.m., firefighters called to 4709 61st St. found nothing showing at a two-story multi-residential apartment complex. They made entry into the apartment to find smoke all the way to the floor and an activated building sprinkler, but no fire. Ventilation was performed and firefighters found a plastic ice cooler on an electric stove.  It was determined the cooler had melted and subsequently caught on fire.

The residents of the apartment were home at the time of the fire and called 911 before evacuating the apartment. Damage to the apartment included the cabinets above the stove with fire, smoke damage throughout and water damage to the kitchen and living room area from the sprinkler system.

No injuries to residents or firefighting personnel were reported. The Moline Fire Department was assisted by Moline Police, the apartment complex maintenance staff and the Red Cross.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system halts apartment fire caused by unattended candle

Authorities in Madison say an automatic sprinkler system helped put out an apartment fire after a candle was left burning in a bedroom on the city’s south side over the weekend.

According to the Madison Fire Department, people who live in an apartment on the 4700 block of Jenewein Rd. left the candle burning just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday while they went out to eat. Authorities say the flame from the candle set nearby clothes on fire before spreading to the window coverings.

The fire sprinkler system inside the apartment building was activated soon after the fire began to spread. According to the MFD, the fire had already been put out when firefighters got to the apartment.

Authorities say everyone was able to get out safely, but people were not able to spend the night inside of the apartment because of the damage done to the bedroom. Officials with the American Red Cross helped the residents find other places to stay.

Despite that, the MFD says minimal damage was done to the apartment because the fire was put out so quickly.  

Apartment Building, Residential

Temecula, CA – Arson fire at apartment building doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A Temecula man was arrested Friday, July 29 for allegedly breaking into his ex-lover’s apartment and starting a fire. Jack Wayne Hill, 45, was arrested on suspicion of arson, burglary, making criminal threats, vandalism and stalking and booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta. Bail information was not immediately available.

According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Jon Wade, deputies had been called to the apartment in the 28800 block of Pujol Street, just west of Interstate 15, over the past week to contend with complaints that Hill was allegedly harassing the victim and had caused damage to her vehicle.

The woman, whose identity was not released, obtained a criminal protective order Wednesday, barring the construction worker from coming close to her or her residence, Wade said.

About 8 a.m. this morning, Hill allegedly went to the property, forced his way inside and ignited a fire. County fire personnel were the first to respond but discovered that the sprinkler system in the building had doused the flames. 

Deputies located the suspect at his job site, where he was taken into custody without incident.  Court records show no documented felony or misdemeanor convictions for Hill in Riverside County.

Apartment Building, Residential

Cheyenne, WY – Apartment kitchen fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire in a three story, multi-unit apartment complex in the 300 block of Montalto Drive Monday morning was short-lived because of an installed sprinkler system, said Chief Darrick Mittlestadt of Laramie County Fire District 1.

When firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 8:40AM they noticed that the apartment complex was evacuated and water coming out of a first floor apartment. When firefighters went inside the apartment they found light smoke and a sprinkler head in the kitchen area activated. The fire was out when firefighters made their way into the kitchen.

According to investigators, an occupant of the apartment was cooking oil in a pan on the stove. The stove was unattended when the oil caught fire and started to burn the cabinet directly above the stove. The heat from the fire caused the sprinkler head in the kitchen to activate. The damage was limited to the kitchen area.

Firefighters said properly working smoke alarms and that the quick action of the sprinkler system limited the damage to the residence and prevented injury to the occupant.  Damage was estimated at $1,000.

LCFD #1 wants to remind everyone the importance of working smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. You should test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries twice a year, when you change your clocks. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.

Apartment Building, Residential

Charlottetown, PE, Canada – Sprinklers limit spread of fire that started on deck of loft apartment building

At least six people have been displaced after a fire late Friday afternoon at the Y Lofts condo building in Charlottetown.  There were no injuries.  Charlottetown Fire Chief Randy MacDonald said the call to the 18-unit condo building, located at the corner of Euston and Prince Streets, was received at 5:20 p.m.

When crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from the roof of the building, which was formerly the YMCA. The building was evacuated prior to fire crews arriving, he said. MacDonald added the fire seemed to have started on the outside deck of a third floor unit. It then spread to the roof. The fire was “held to the outside” by the building’s sprinkler system, he said.

Shortly after 6 p.m., MacDonald said the fire was “knocked down” and mostly contained with crews dealing with hotspots. He also noted a challenge to fighting the fire was the warm weather. To keep fire fighters safe, they took “quick breaks” and kept hydrated throughout the incident, MacDonald said.

Fire officials are investigating the cause.

Apartment Building, Residential

College Station, TX – Fire at off-campus apartment building contained by sprinkler system

Occupants of the Domain at Northgate apartments stand in front of the building after being evacuated for a fire in one of the units Friday afternoon in College Station. The building’s smoke detectors and sprinkler system activated and contained the fire in the second-floor apartment where it originated. An estimated 50 to 60 people were evacuated and residents whose apartments were damaged are being relocated. The College Station Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Reno, NV – Apartment fire caused by careless smoking contained by sprinkler system

The Reno Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 895 Kuenzil Street at 3:43 a.m.  The fire started in a third floor apartment from a carelessly discarded cigarette.  The fire caused moderate fire damage but was contained to the living area by an activated fire system.

The two sleeping occupants who were home at the time of the fire escaped without injury. 14 tenants of the apartment complex were temporarily relocated by the American Red Cross.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, if you have a fire in your home, the risk of dying decreases by 82 percent when fire sprinklers are present. Statistics show fire sprinklers can stop a fire in less than 90 seconds.

Although there were no injuries reported on this incident, The Reno Fire Department would like to remind everyone smoking materials (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States, and to take necessary safety precautions.

Apartment Building, Residential

Campbell River, BC, Canada – Storage locker fire at apartment building knocked down with help from sprinkler system

No injuries were reported, but there is smoke and water damage in a storage locker room and adjacent living units after a fire in a multi-unit apartment building in the 300 block of Dogwood St. on Tuesday.

“At 9:45 a.m., Campbell River fire crews responded to a report of alarms ringing and fire inside a multi-unit apartment building, and they arrived to find a smoke-filled hallway on the first floor with an active fire inside a storage locker room at the end of that hallway,” deputy fire chief Chris Vrabel said in a press release. “A water sprinkler suppression system had activated and prevented a much more serious situation, which enabled the entry crew to quickly knock down the remaining fire.”

The majority of residents were allowed back into the building by 11:30 a.m. The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

Apartment Building, Residential

Pontiac, MI – Apartment fire started by child playing with lighter is put out by sprinkler system

At 1 p.m. Tuesday, a fire was reported on Center Street near Cottage Street at a four-story apartment building in Pontiac.  All residents were evacuated, and the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire before crews arrived.

Later, investigators learned the fire may have started due to a child playing with a lighter. There was minor fire damage to the apartment building, but significant smoke and water damage following the sprinkler system activation, Lyman said.

“It’s important to keep flammables away from children,” said Lyman. “(The residents) were lucky they were able to get out” of the building.