Category Archives: Apartment Building

Apartment Building, Residential

Crossfield, AB, Canada – Possible arson fire at apartment complex put out with help from sprinkler system

Airdrie RCMP believe a blaze at an apartment complex in southern Alberta on Tuesday may have been intentionally set. The fire broke out in the 1000 block of Railway Street in Crossfield, Alta. 

RCMP said the blaze was extinguished quickly, thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, Good Samaritans and members of the fire department.  A third-floor apartment sustained minor damage, but RCMP said all residents in the building were able to get out safely and no one was injured.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Airdrie RCMP at 403-945-7200 or contact Crime Stoppers. Crossfield is located at about 50 kilometres north of Calgary.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rochester, MN – Early morning apartment fire suppressed by sprinkler system

Around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning the Rochester Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Boulder Apartments in southeast Rochester. When crews arrived they found water running from under the doorway and could smell smoke.  No one answered the door so firefighters broke through the locked door and discovered a small fire in the corner of the living room that had started moving up the wall and ceiling.  The sprinkler system had activated, suppressing the fire.

Firefighters were able to shut off the sprinkler system however there is extensive water damage to the third floor apartments as well as the apartments directly below on the 1st and 2nd floors. Damage is estimated at $20,000.  The City of Rochester’s Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire, so far it appears to be unintentional.  No one was in the apartment at the time of the fire but fire crews did rescue a young cat which they turned over to Animal Control until the occupant could be located and notified.

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.