Category Archives: Residential High Rise

Residential, Residential High Rise

Honolulu, HI – Fire on 28th floor lanai at residential high-rise extinguished by sprinkler system

A sprinkler on a lanai extinguished a small fire at a Kakaako high-rise today, Honolulu firefighters said.  Forty-seven firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire at 5:07 p.m. in building B of 801 South St. near the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Alapai Street, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Scot Seguirant.  By the time firefighters got to the 28th floor unit about 10 minutes later, the fire already had been extinguished by the sprinkler system, Seguirant said.

“Bar none, sprinklers are the safest way to manage a fire,” he said. “It was there before firefighters were even able to get there.”  He said a properly designed building can minimize property loss.  The cause of the fire was undetermined, but damage was estimated at $2,500 for the structure and its contents.  A large group of firefighters responded to the alarm because a second-alarm was called when smoke was seen coming from the building. The second wave of firefighters were returned after they arrived at the building.  Authorities closed Kapiolani Boulevard between South and Cooke streets during the incident.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Meriden, CT – Fire at high rise apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

The fire department responded to a call after a smoke alarm was tripped at at a high-rise complex Tuesday afternoon. This was related stove fire that activated a sprinkler system at the 55 Willow St. complex. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system. Crews remained on scene for about one hour evacuating residents, removing water from apartments on floors 1-4 and checking for associated hazards.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Belle Haven, VA – Fire sprinkler system saves residents at high rise apartment building

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue determined a fire sprinkler saved residents and minimized damages at a Belle Haven apartment fire on Tuesday, July 31.  Fairfax County and Alexandria firefighters responded to the 5900 block of Richmond Highway around 10:02 a.m. at the 13-story high rise. By the time they arrived, the sprinkler system had already extinguished a fire in a fifth floor unit. There were no injuries.  The unit’s residents were not home at the time of the fire. Building residents were alerted by the fire alarm system.  Fire investigators determined unattended cooking on the stove started the fire. Initial damage estimates are $500. The two residents were displaced and declined Red Cross assistance.  The fire department reminds residents that sprinklers can save lives and their properties.

Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise

Massena, NY – Kitchen fire in high-rise apartment complex suppressed by sprinkler system

Building sprinkler system douses kitchen fire at Massena high-rise apartment complex.  The building’s sprinkler system was able to douse a kitchen fire late Saturday night on the eighth floor of the Laurel Terrace high-rise apartment complex.  Massena volunteer and permanent firefighters were called out to an alarm activation at 10:47 p.m. at Laurel Terrace. First Assistant Chief Paul Brownell said that when they arrived on the scene, they found smoke and water on the eighth floor.

“The sprinkler above the stove had gone off and extinguished it. We had a lot of water with that,” he said.  Firefighters spent the next few hours halting the water flow from the sprinkler system, evacuating residents from apartments that were damaged by water, checking on residents that had sheltered in place, securing the building’s utilities and assisting the Massena Rescue Squad with patient triage for smoke inhalation. The Massena Police Department was also on the scene.

“We were trying to get the residents to stay in place. A lot of them like to move around,” Mr. Brownell said.

He said they advised residents who remained in the building to stay in place and not move around so they could be contacted.

Firefighters initially used the building’s interior staircase to get up to the eighth floor and back to ground level again. They used a high-rise kit with hoses specifically designed for those types of emergencies.

“We try not to use the elevator,” Mr. Brownell said.

Once they determined there was no danger, the elevator was put back into service again to get residents back to their rooms.

Tenants were able to return to their apartments, and no temporary housing was required despite any water damage their apartment may have suffered.

“Nobody had a problem with that,” he said.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Waterloo, ON, Canada – Unattended cooking pan causes stove fire; Sprinkler system activated

A fire in a highrise student building has caused more than $150,000 in damage and required some of the students to be evacuated from their unit.

Waterloo fire department responded to a call at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Preston House, 315 King St. N., which is between Columbia Street and University Avenue.

The fire was caused by someone cooking on the stove who had left the pan unattended, said platoon chief Earl Reitzel.

The sprinkler system went off and the flow of water created “quite a lot of damage” to that unit, several units immediately below, and to the elevator shaft. A total of seven people are affected.

The building managers will find other places in the building for the tenants to stay, if necessary, while the units are being cleaned up, Reitzel said.

Not paying attention while cooking is one of the major causes of fires, he said.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Atlanta, GA – Overnight fire in midtown residential high rise contained with help from sprinkler system

An early morning fire that investigators believe may have started on a balcony forced more than two dozen residents to evacuate a Midtown high-rise early Tuesday.  The fire at the Plaza Midtown, located at West Peachtree and 8th streets, was reported at 2:25 a.m., according to Atlanta fire Sgt. Cortez Stafford. The blaze was visible on the 18th floor of the 20-story building when firefighters arrived, Stafford said.  “Our units quickly went up, started evacuating people and knocking on every door,” Stafford said.

The building’s sprinkler system helped contain the fire while residents were led down the stairs and outside. Between 25 and 30 residents, some in wheelchairs, were helped out of the building, Stafford said. Other residents were allowed to shelter in place on lower floors. “With the high-rise fires, some of our main concerns are the amount of people in the building, the amount of fire spread,” Stafford said. “Sometimes the smoke can be contained, so we’re worried about that.” No injuries were reported.

Residential, Residential High Rise, Townhouse / Condominium

Arlington, VA – Early morning fire at luxury high-rise condominium building contained by sprinkler system

One person was sent to the hospital for observation after a fire in a Virginia Square condominium Friday morning.  The fire was reported around 6:30 a.m. at the high-rise Hawthorn condo building, which is located at 820 N. Pollard Street, across Wilson Blvd from Gold’s Gym.  The fire was contained by a sprinkler system, allowing firefighters to quickly extinguish the flames. Large ladder trucks were used to help with the firefighting effort.  The Arlington County Fire Department. The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause

Residential, Residential High Rise

Austin, TX – Fire in trash chute of high rise apartment building contained by sprinkler system

<The> fire last Sunday developed downtown on West 3rd Street at Amli, a hi-rise apartment building.  AFD said the fire began in the first floor parking garage. They believe someone may have thrown a hot item in the trash compactor. Division Chief Thayer Smith said the sprinkler helped prevent the fire from spreading up the building. When fire crews arrived they extinguished what was left of the fire and worked on smoke removal. Residents were able to return to their homes later that day.

“We really got to ask folks you know not dispose of that stuff in the trash compactor because this is the result of what happens when you do that,” Smith said.  The apartment fire was the second hi-rise fire the department has responded to in the last two weeks for someone tossing an improper item down the trash chute. The building sustained minimal damage.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

Oklahoma City, OK – No injuries after fire at high rise retirement home is put out by sprinkler system

A northeast side retirement home has been partially evacuated due to a high-rise fire.  The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded around 12:18 p.m. on Sunday at the Senior Living Center in the 1200 block of N. Kate Avenue.  Upon arrival, heavy smoke was reported.  Officials said the fire ended up being a mattress in a room on the fifth floor. Some residents evacuated, and others sheltered in place.  The fire was put out, while a sprinkler system continued flowing and crews worked to control the water.  Firefighters said no injuries have been reported.  Less than an hour later, residents were allowed back in their rooms except for those who live on the fifth floor.  Automatic sprinkler systems save lives,” said Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson. “Water damage is much preferred over larger fires and fatalities from smoke.”  No other details have been released at this time.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

St. Louis, MO – Sprinkler system activates in fire at high rise for the elderly and disabled; No injuries reported

Tense times for residents Thursday morning at a Midtown St. Louis apartment high-rise after a fire temporarily shut down the elevators. The apartments are home to senior citizens and people with disabilities. All three elevators in the building were disabled after a cooking accident. The fire set off the building’s sprinkler system. “When there is a fire, the sprinkler goes off. The sprinkler kicks on and it shuts down the elevator – all elevators,” said Vince Turner.

Those sprinklers sent water into a lot of different areas, including the electrical components of the elevators. The St. Louis Fire Department said the trouble began Wednesday night after Turner, a resident on the 21st floor, burned his dinner. “I was frying some fish in the skillet, then it exploded-boom-big ball of fire and smoke,” he said. The high-rise Council Towers Senior Apartments is home to senior citizens and those with disabilities. After about 12 hours of nonstop work by repair crews, two of the three elevators were back up and running. Although many of the residents struggled to get up and down the stairs, no one was hurt. “I never had to walk this many flights in my life,” said Debora Hall.

Hall, 61, said she walked down 27 flights of stairs. “It was very painful; my whole right side. I have a disc in my neck and my lower back so my whole right side is very weak,” Hall said.