Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential High Rise

Houston, TX – High-rise apartment fire quickly extinguished by sprinkler system

A high-rise apartment building in southwest Houston was evacuated Tuesday night after a fire erupted in one of the units. The blaze broke out about 7:45 p. m. at the Conquistador apartments at 7575 Bellaire near Fondren, according to the Houston Fire Department.

Officials said the small fire was in an eighth-floor kitchen of the seventeen-story building. The sprinkler system operated well and the fire was quickly extinguished. Firefighters evacuated the building, cleared smoke from the high-rise and inspected electrical equipment to make sure water had not created hazards. Later, residents were allowed back inside their apartments. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Abilene, TX – Overnight apartment fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries

Abilene firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the 1200 block of Yeoman Road just after midnight early Sunday morning. When firefighters got to the scene the fire had already been put out by the apartment’s sprinkler system, but they did see some light smoke in the apartment next door.

Firefighters were able to clear out that smoke. Investigators said food cooking on the stove started the fire.  Damage is estimated at about $3,000.  No one was hurt.

Apartment Building, Residential

New Brighton, MN – Sprinklers prevent apartment blaze from spreading; No injuries

The New Brighton Department of Public Safety responded to the report of a fire at an apartment building in New Brighton last week.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the 600 block of Old Highway 8 N.W. after the building’s fire alarm sounded around 11:25 a.m. April 15.

When the fire engines arrived, crews found the remnants of a fire in an apartment on the third floor.

After gaining entry to the apartment, firefighters determined the building’s sprinkler system had controlled and nearly extinguished the fire completely and prevented the blaze from spreading further.

“The presence of a working fire-suppression sprinkler along with a properly working building fire alarm system saved significant property damage and potentially saved many lives,” the public safety department said in a statement.

According to the city officials, the cause of the fire is not believed to be suspicious.

There were no injuries as a result of this incident.

City fire crews added reminders to residents to clean out dryer vents routinely, and to make sure smoke detectors are functioning properly.

Apartment Building, Residential

Prescott Valley, AZ – Sprinkler system credited with stopping potentially serious residential fire

A sprinkler system is credited with extinguishing a potentially serious unattended kitchen fire on Friday, May 20, Central Arizona Fire Division Chief Rick Chase said.

The fire started about 11 a.m., when fire crews were called to investigate an active sprinkler system in one unit of a two-story four-plex in the 4000 block of Viewpoint Drive. The residents were not home when the water began flowing but came home to find that it had turned on, Chase said.

“What (firefighters) found was a box on the stove that had a bunch of food, trash and stuff in it and it had caught fire,” Chase said. “The sprinkler put it out.”

Because the flames ignited when no one was home, he said, there was a possibility that a major fire could have resulted.

Home sprinkler systems are a good idea, he added, and they don’t work as some people believe.

“That’s kind of one of the myths that people have,” Chase said, “’I don’t want to flood my whole house,’ (but) only the sprinkler head where the heat activate it and pops that bulb is what activates. This head happened to be in the kitchen, closest to the stove, and was able to put it out.

“The moral was that it prevented the fire from spreading.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Maitland, FL – Sprinkler system helps put out apartment fire caused by charging drone battery

A drone battery charging inside a Maitland apartment caused a fire to erupt early Sunday morning, according to Maitland Fire Rescue.

The fire happened around 1 a.m. inside one of the units at the Arbors at Maitland Summit apartments.

Fire officials say the woman inside the apartment tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but the fire grew, causing the sprinkler system to go off.

According to fire officials, the drone battery was left unattended while it was charging.

“They put it on the charger, they went to sleep,” said Assistant Fire Chief Van Camp. “Someone woke up from the smell of smoke, went out, saw the batter was on fire, tried to put it out and it kept growing on them.”

Only one building at the apartment complex was evacuated. Those residents have since been allowed back into their apartments.

No injuries were reported.

The unit where the fire started sustained water damage, according to fire officials.

Apartment Building, Residential

San Rafael, CA – Sprinkler system limits spread of apartment fire

Three apartments sustained water damage in a one-alarm fire Sunday in San Rafael, a San Rafael battalion chief said.  The fire was first reported at 9:24 p.m. at 960 Lincoln Ave.

When firefighters arrived, they found a sprinkler had extinguished the fire in one apartment and firefighters went to work to limit water damage, Battalion Chief Kyle Hamilton said.

The apartment where the fire started is probably uninhabitable, which would displace one person, Hamilton said. The other two units are probably habitable, he said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rome, NY – Apartment kitchen fire put out by sprinkler system

No one was injured after food left on a stove resulted in a fire at Liberty Gardens Wednesday morning.  Fire officials said the residents of Apartment 711 accidentally left food unattended on the stove shortly before 8:30 a.m.

The flames spread from the stove top to the oven hood and the upper exhaust hood before the apartment’s sprinkler system put it out, the Rome fire officials added. The fire was out by the time crews arrived on the scene.

The firefighters checked to make sure the fire hadn’t spread further, and helped to clear the water out of the apartment.

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Evanston, IL – Apartment fire started by careless smoker kept in check by sprinkler system

**NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department reported** The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board reports a successful fire sprinkler activation at the Claridge Apartments in Evanston, Illinois at 3:30 a.m. on Monday, May 9, 2016. According to the report, a careless smoker set a pile of clothing on her bed ablaze. She apparently panicked and threw the pile into the bathtub and ran away. The sprinkler head above the bed extinguished the smoldering mattress. In the bathroom, the shower curtain and towels caught fire. A sprinkler head in the bathroom activated and kept the fire in check until Evanston Fire department arrived.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kalamazoo, MI – Sprinkler system credited with containing apartment fire to room of origin; No injuries

**NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Department Reported**

Friday night May 6, 2016 at 10:09 pm the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety responded to a report of a fire in an 11 unit apartment building in the 1000 block of Washington Avenue. A couch fire which was releasing a large amount of black smoke and heat was suppressed by the sprinkler system.  The fire was contained to the room of origin.  No one was hurt and after the suppression system was placed back into service the occupants of 9 of the 11 units were safely back into their homes.  The sprinkler system was praised for preventing further damage to the building

Apartment Building, Residential

Orono, ME – Sprinkler system knocks down grease fire at apartment building

Crews responded to a fire at an apartment complex in Orono Monday afternoon.

The call came in around 2:30 to the Reserve apartments, formerly known as the Grove.

Officials say a grease fire triggered the sprinkler system in one of the units. As a result the fire was out when crews arrived.

There was significant smoke and water damage, though, leaving the apartment unliveable for now.

“I believe the resident was attempting to deep fry something and it caught on fire, put it in the sink, put water on it, which expanded the grease, caused the sprinkler heads to go off,” said Capt. Joel Sides of the Orono Fire Department.

Fire officials remind you to always use baking soda–not water–to put out a grease fire.