Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Mountain View, CA – Sprinkler system activated for laundry room fire at apartment complex

Residents of a Mountain View apartment complex were forced to evacuate yesterday afternoon when a fire broke out in the building’s laundry room. According to a social media post from the City of Mountain View Fire Department, the emergency call occurred at 3:51 p.m. from the 800 block of N Rengstorff Avenue. All tenants managed to leave the building unharmed before the arrival of the fire crew.

The first engine company reached the scene within three minutes of dispatch, encountering smoke on the third floor and heavy smoke in the laundry room. With the laundry room’s sprinkler system already engaged due to the heat from the blaze, firefighters were tasked with ceasing the water flow, ensuring the fire had not spread, and starting the overhaul process.

Authorities stated that the active sprinkler system aided the fire’s quick containment, which effectively isolated the flames to the laundry room. “Firefighters discontinued the water flow from the sprinklers, confirmed there was no fire extension into the building,” noted the Fire Department’s post. Salvaging operations were initiated to minimize water damage to affected areas, including two second-floor apartments directly beneath the laundry room.

The cause of the fire, which was successfully extinguished without injuries, was a clothes dryer that overheated due to lint accumulation. The Fire Department estimated the damages to the building and contents amounted to $40,000. During the incident, the Mountain View Police Department temporarily closed a lane on N Rengstorff Avenue to facilitate fire unit operations.

As a reminder for residents, the City of Mountain View Fire Department pointed to guidance from the National Fire Protection Association on dryer safety: “The NFPA recommends that your dryer be installed and serviced by a professional, never use a dryer without a lint filter, clean the lint filter after each load of laundry and ensure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted when the dryer is operating.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Cross Lanes, WV – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A fire inside an apartment building was quickly put out Wednesday morning.

It happened about 4:30 a.m. in Cross Lanes.

The Nitro Fire Department said it happened at Cross Lanes Unity Apartments.

Firefighters said the sprinkler system put out the fire.

All 27 people inside were forced to leave the building. No one was injured.

Most of those were able to go back in once the building was ventilated.

The Nitro fire chief said the sprinkler system probably saved lives.

Firefighters said the fire started when someone in one of the apartments was smoking while in bed.

Apartment Building, Residential

Dilworth, MN – Sprinkler system activated for overnight fire at apartment complex

Multiple fire crews from Moorhead and Dilworth responded to an apartment fire early Tuesday Morning.

Fire officials say crews responded to an apartment complex in the 1600 Block of 3 Ave NW just before 1:30 a.m.

Fire officials say the fire was near a window of an apartment. One window broke due to the heat of the fire but officials say thanks to the sprinkler system the fire was contained to one area and didn’t spread.

The total extent of damage is unknown at this time. The investigation has now been turned over to Dilworth Police as they work to locate the resident of the apartment.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire on fifth floor apartment deck

An apartment building’s sprinkler system kept a minor fire on a fifth floor deck from expanding early Friday morning.

Just before 6 a.m. on Oct. 18, the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) responded to a call for a structure fire at a six-story apartment building in the 800 block of Leon Avenue. When the initial crew arrived at the scene, no smoke or flames could be seen from the apartment’s exterior.

Upon further review, a small fire was found on a fifth floor deck. The sprinkler system kept the fire from expanding and crews extinguished the rest of the blaze.

The building’s fire alarm went off and everyone evacuated safely. After the blaze was doused, everyone was able to go back to their homes. No one was injured and one person was treated for minor smoke inhalation.

KFD has deemed the fire accidental and it’s no longer under investigation. They responded with three engines, one rescue unit, one ladder truck, and one command unit, totaling 18 fire personnel.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

At around 3:30 a.m. Monday morning, Rochester Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm with reports of sprinkler flow at Century Heights Apartments.

The first unit on scene, E4, arrived to find the apartment building being evacuated.

No smoke or fire conditions were visible outside the building, but RFD crews proceeded to apartment #308 where according to RFD, “a slight haze and odor of burnt food was noticeable.”

In the apartment, RFD identified a cooking fire that had been extinguished by the activation of the sprinkler system. Crews ventilated the apartment and worked to remove water from the building.

No injuries occurred, and there was moderate water damage in the affected apartment.

RFD says sprinkler systems are exceptionally reliable, such that the chance of dying in a fire is reduced by 90% when sprinklers are installed in a building. According to the NFPA, property damage in dollars is reduced by up to two-thirds depending on occupancy type when sprinklers are present.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fort Wayne, IN – Sprinkler system activated for electric bike fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

An electric bike fire contained to a closet set off the sprinkler system in a Fort Wayne apartment building Monday.

The five-story building on Westbrook Drive was occupied at the time of the fire, but no people or pets were injured.

The first Fort Wayne Fire Department unit to respond was directed to a third-floor bicycle closet where they found that an electric bike battery caught fire. It was contained to the closet because of the sprinkler system.

There was minor fire and smoke damage to the building, as well as moderate water damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brattleboro, VT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A fire in an apartment building on Main Street caused significant water damage to nearby units and a business Monday afternoon, according to a news release from the Brattleboro Fire Department.

Crews were dispatched to 117-119 Main St. for a fire alarm shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Monday, the release said. When first responders arrived, they reported nothing showing from the front of the four-story building, but Brattleboro Fire Capt. Kurt Schmidt advised that there was a sprinkler flow in the building and smoke on the third floor, according to the release. Schmidt requested the incident be upgraded to a first alarm.

At 2:45 p.m., first responders discovered the fire in an apartment on the fourth floor. The sprinkler system kept the fire to that apartment, the release said. Crews performed a primary search of that apartment and the rest of the building and deemed the fire under control shortly after. However, the sprinkler controls to shut the system down were behind a locked door in the basement, according to the release.

There were no reported injuries in the incident, the release said, but the apartments at 117 Main St. and Beadniks, an arts and crafts store specializing in beads and gemstones, had significant water damage. The apartments at 119 Main St. and another business, Trillium Home and Garden, were evacuated. Due to the extent of the water damage, the power had to be turned off for both sides of the building.

“Electricians will be on scene today to determine if the power can be restored to 119 Main St. to allow for the people to reoccupy that side as well as for Trillium to reopen,” the release said. “However, Beadniks and the apartments at 117 Main Street will be unable to reoccupy for a considerable time.”

Thirteen people were displaced as a result of the water damage. The Red Cross was notified and arranged housing for three of them, and others were able to make alternative arrangements. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Burton, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at apartment complex

A Tuesday afternoon fire broke out in a Burton apartment and displaced a child and adult before being extinguished by the sprinkler system.

According to the Burton Fire District (BFD), responders were dispatched just past 4:00 p.m. to Magnolia Park Apartments on Laurel Bay Road.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a kitchen fire had activated the sprinkler system, which was flowing water from a single sprinkler head. The sprinkler had fully extinguished the fire by the time fire personnel arrived.

Officials stated that while the apartment sustained some water damage, the impact was extremely limited for this type of fire.

“A residential sprinkler head flows about 25 gallons of water a minute,” stated Burton Fire Captain Ethan Webb who was first to arrive, “but today it extinguished the fire immediately. Had the fire spread, not only would you have more fire damages, but our hose lines flow about 150 gallons of water a minute, so there would have been significantly more damages that could have also potentially impacted other residents in the complex. We can dry out your home, but we can’t unburn it.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Fargo, ND – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at apartment complex

Fargo Fire says a charging ebike battery caused a fire inside an apartment Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was reported just after 2 at an apartment at 1781 35th Street South, just east of I-29. The building’s sprinkler system activated and put the fire out. Fire damage was limited, but the unit has smoke and water damage as well.

The Fire Department says the ebike had a modified battery, and the owner left it unattended during charging.

People are encouraged to buy their ebikes from a reputable supplier, and not to modify the battery with aftermarket parts.

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Johns, NL, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

The effects of a minor fire have displaced several residents of an apartment building in Pleasantville.

Fire crews were called to the building, on Charter Avenue, at about 10:00 p.m. on Monday evening. An unattended pot left on a stove had started a fire in the kitchen of a unit on the second floor. Dean Foley, Platoon Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, said that while the fire was quickly extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, water continued to flow for some time, causing flooding in multiple units.

Maintenance personnel arrived to shut off the flow of water to the affected area of the building, which is owned by the City of St. John’s. Foley said that fourteen people in total were displaced from their apartments. The Canadian Red Cross were called to assist those who could not make alternate arrangements for accommodations.

No injuries were reported.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers