Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Columbia, MO – Hallway fire at senior living center suppressed by sprinkler system July 1, 2017 viking210 The Columbia Fire Department responded to a report of a fire alarm with smoke in a hallway at 3700 Lenoir St (Lenoir Senior Services) on Thursday. The fire started on the stove of an unoccupied apartment had been extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system when crews got to the apartment. There were no reported injuries and damage was limited to the one apartment. Smoke and water damages are estimated at $15,000. According to the official release, Assistant Fire Marshal Kyle Edwards investigated the fire and has ruled the fire accidental. The cause was a stove being inadvertently turned on, igniting combustibles being used to pack items for a move. No one was in the apartment at the time of the fire.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Mercer Island, WA – Parking garage fire at retirement facility extinguished with help from sprinkler system June 30, 2017 viking210 The Mercer Island Fire Department responded to reports of smoke coming from a parking garage of a retirement facility at the 2900 block of 76th Ave. SE at 2:48 p.m. on Wednesday. The building sustained limited damage caused by smoke. Two staff members were taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation, but no residents or firefighters were injured. As units were in route to the incident, additional reports were received indicating a car was on fire in the parking garage of the building. The alarm was immediately upgraded and additional units were requested. Two staff members tried to extinguish the fire with portable fire extinguishers with limited success prior to the arrival of the fire units. Arriving on scene within minutes, firefighters noticed a car fire burning within the garage causing a heavy smoke conditions, but were able to extinguish this fire with no extension beyond the vehicle in the parking garage. The staff, and residents, were alerted to shelter in place and close all windows and doors. The sprinkler system within the structure was activated and assisted with extinguishment of the fire, along with a single attack hoseline. The four-story retirement facility was occupied with 47 residents and approximately 20 staff members when the fire started. Three Mercer Island, three Bellevue fire units, and three ambulances were used to mitigate the incident.
Adult Care/Rehab Center, Hospital/Care Facility, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Watertown, WI – Sprinkler system halts nursing home fire in wing occupied by many nonambulatory patients June 27, 2017 viking210 The Watertown Fire Department continues to investigate a structure fire that injured one resident at Dycora Transitional Health on Hospital Drive early Saturday morning. “We’re not exactly sure of the cause of it yet, possibly electrical,” fire Chief Greg Michalek said. “The fire burned the bed with the patient in it and part of the wall.” Michalek said the blaze was contained to a single room of the 112-bed nursing home, but the wing it is located in also suffered water and smoke damage. He acknowledged that the casualties could have been much worse if things had transpired differently because many of the residents in the wing could not walk by themselves. Thankfully, firefighters along with a number of police officers and Dycora personnel were able to evacuate the 20 patients in the affected wing. “Most of the people in that wing were nonambulatory,” Michalek said. “They had to be taken out in wheelchairs. The sprinkler system activated and put the fire out but there was a lot of smoke.” A call to Dycora’s administrator was not returned before the Daily Times press time this morning.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Vernon Hills, IL – Laundry fire at senior living complex contained by sprinkler system June 23, 2017 viking210 A fire broke out in a Vernon Hills senior living complex’s laundry room Tuesday morning, but officials from the Countryside Fire Protection District say a sprinkler system and collapsible doors contained the fire until crews arrived. The fire started in a dryer on the fifth floor of the Victory Centre of Vernon Hills, 97 W. Phillip Road, shortly after 9 a.m. No one was injured in the blaze, according to a statement issued by Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Steingart. “Quick and decisive actions by the Victory Centre staff as well as the emergency response and the fire sprinkler controlling the fire clearly averted a potential tragedy,” Steingart said. Approximately 110 residents and 25 employees were inside the building when the fire started, according to Steingart. He said investigators are still trying to determine why the dryer caught fire. The incident was deemed a structure fire and Countryside was assisted by crews from Libertyville, Mundelein and Lincolnshire. Smoke and heat was contained inside the laundry room and fresh oxygen kept outside by automated doors that closed, Steingart said. He said the laundry room had one sprinkler that functioned properly and limited the fire until crews arrived. A few residents will be temporarily relocated during the cleanup and investigation, Steingart said.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Belleview, FL – Single sprinkler controls attic fire at assisted living center; Lightning strike identified as cause June 19, 2017 viking210 The fire that forced the evacuation of residents and staff at an assistant living facility in Belleview was apparently caused by Mother Nature. According to a spokesperson from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, it appears the fire was caused by a lightning strike. Damage to the attic area is approximately $30,000. The exact cause of the fire won’t be determined until the investigation is complete. Marion County Fire Rescue officials said Friday there were reports of heavy weather with lightning in the area prior to the fire. Fire officials said the blaze started in the attic above the electric panels and moved along the trusses. Firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and others placed 56 residents from Hampton Manor Assisted Living, 10590 SE 62nd Avenue Road, onto buses that transported them to another Hampton Manor facility. Fire officials said they received the call about 5:05 p.m. and arrived on scene at 5:11 p.m. The fire was under control at 5:29 p.m. Beatrice Kelty, community director at Hampton Manor, told the Star-Banner that Donna Clifford was in the kitchen when she heard a pop sound in the breaker and then saw fire in the ceiling. Clifford, the dietary supervisor, immediately pulled the alarm. There were seven staff members on duty at the time of the fire. Kelty said she quickly went to the kitchen and doused the blaze with a fire extinguisher. Kelty said she and the other team members, including Dawn Crossley, a resident care manager, went to get the residents and evacuate them. None of the residents were in the kitchen at the time of the fire. When the fire started, Kelty said, they were in the middle of dinner. “My team was excellent and the residents cooperated,” Kelty said. According to a fire report, as the fire made its way through the attic, a single fire sprinkler was activated and it contained the fire to the general area until firefighters arrived. The report also said that as soon as flames were seen in the attic, a staff member pulled the kitchen pull station that activated the hood. Though no fire was present in the hood, fire officials said it prevented the gas from going into the kitchen. “The early actions by the staff to activate the fire alarm and notify MCFR along with the operation of the sprinkler system allowed for a quick response and to contain the damage,” according to the report. Cindy Campbell, director of operations, told the Star-Banner that all the residents remain at the Hampton Manor at 1500 SE 24th Road because the Belleview building sustained significant damage in the kitchen area. Campbell said its unknown when the repairs will begin or end or when residents will be able to return to the Belleview building. For now, she said, they’re looking for an alternate location, and the residents at the Southeast 24th Road facility are adjusting well.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Jersey Shore, PA – Early morning fire at nursing home kept from spreading by sprinkler system June 13, 2017 viking210 Third-floor residents of Manorcare Health Services in Jersey Shore were briefly evacuated after a small electrical fire broke out in a bathroom early Tuesday morning, according to Citizen’s Hose Co. Fire Chief Matthew Fausey. The fire at Manorcare occurred in the ceiling of a resident’s bathroom on the third floor just before 5 a.m., Fausey said. The fire activated the building’s sprinkler system, which helped prevent the fire from spreading, Fausey said, adding that firefighters had the fire extinguished in a matter of minutes. Once the fire was out and the water cleaned up, residents were moved back into their rooms, he added.
Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Baxter, MN – Balcony fire at senior apartment complex controlled with help from sprinkler system June 9, 2017 viking210 Passing motorists on Excelsior Road saw flames on a third-floor deck of a senior apartment complex Friday morning, alerting emergency responders to the Autumn Glenn complex in Baxter. The fire was reported about 7:20 a.m. At the scene, Baxter Police Chief Jim Exsted said residents on the third floor were evacuated as a precaution. Many had multiple questions as they were temporarily relocated. The 50-unit apartment building has about 16 units on each floor. Brainerd Fire Chief Tim Holmes said the fire was contained to the deck but flames were climbing the wall and around the glass deck door, as well as a window when he arrived on scene. Holmes got the call when he just blocks away from the building. He said deck sprinkler played an important role in keeping the fire contained. The woman living in the apartment was also working to put the fire using a container or bowl filled with water when firefighters arrived. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. The deck remained secure to walk on, Holmes said. Siding was removed around the deck. The torn aqua-colored barrier wrap, formerly underneath the siding, flapped in the morning breeze. The area around the deck doors was charred black and holes were cut above the deck to access the attic. Holiday decorations hung from the deck rail, trailing down to lower floors. The second floor resident’s deck just below the fire, complete with chairs and potted plant, appeared undisturbed. No injuries were reported. Karen Struthers, community manager for Autumn Glenn, said all the residents were fine. She said the apartment occupant was with family and the complex residents would now have conversation fodder for the weekend. It was too early to determine the extent of the damage in terms of a dollar amount, Struthers said.
Apartment Building, Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Hinton, WV – No injuries in senior apartment fire controlled with help from sprinkler system May 29, 2017 viking210 Fire departments in Summers County responded to a fire Monday afternoon at Hinton House Apartments on Stokes Drive. Steve Pack, Assistant Fire Chief of Hinton Fire Department, said the fire erupted in a kitchen on the fifth floor of the building, and is believed to have started because of an issue with an electric stove. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating. When the sprinkler system kicked on and put out the fire, it caused flooding to the lower floors along with residents’ carpet, ceilings and several other areas throughout the building. Many residents were able to be housed with friends and family, but the local senior citizen center has been housing residents as well. Red Cross has been providing those affected by the fire with blankets, food and cots. Stephanie Elkins, property manager for the Hinton House, said they are hoping to open up the half of the building that was not damaged, but inspections are still being completed. “I wish I could bring all of these people home tomorrow, but sadly I am still unsure of when I will be able to do that,” said Elkins. Officials are working on reopening Hinton House, but it may be a substantial amount of time before the whole residence opens up its doors again. A time frame is still unknown.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential De Soto, MO – Overnight fire at residential care facility extinguished by sprinkler system May 21, 2017 viking210 A small fire Wednesday night (May 17) at the Villas residential care facility in De Soto led to the evacuation of about 35 residents, the De Soto Fire Department reported. At 11:32 p.m., the fire department got a call about an alarm sounding at the facility, 1550 Villa Drive, Fire Chief Craig Block said. When firefighters arrived at 11:40 p.m., they found light smoke showing in the building, he said. “Upon further investigation, they found there was a fire in a storage room, but the sprinkler system had put it out,” Block said. “We have an updated sprinkler system and a current digital alarm,” said Beverly Rector, administrator for the Villas. Because of the fire and smoke, a second alarm was struck and firefighters from the De Soto Rural, Hematite, Hillsboro, Festus and R-7 fire protection districts responded to the scene and helped with the evacuation. They also were joined by emergency medical personnel from Valle, North Jefferson, Joachim-Plattin and Rock Township ambulance districts, Block said. Rector said people were already being evacuated when emergency responders arrived at the facility. “We evacuated the entire campus to safe zones on the property,” she said. Residents were evacuated to the parking lot of the facility. Meanwhile, firefighters ventilated the building to remove the smoke, Block said. One patient, who complained about being injured during the evacuation, was transported to an area hospital, Block said. The state Fire Marshal’s Office was called in and determined the fire was accidental, Block said. “We still don’t have a report on the cause of the fire,” he said. Residents were back in their rooms at about 12:45 a.m., Block said. He said safeguards in the building stopped the situation from becoming worse. “Luckily, the sprinkler system did its job,” Block said. Rector said staff at the Villas were grateful to the emergency responders. “The fire department and EMS should be commended,” she said. “They have our gratitude. They were quick and helpful and efficient in the process.”
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Mason City, IA – Early morning fire at senior living complex controlled by sprinkler system April 12, 2017 viking210 Officials say building safety features and a quick response kept a fire at a Mason City senior living complex from turning into a tragedy. Firefighters learned of the blaze at 5:56 a.m. Saturday at Shalom Tower II, 321 Fourth St. N.E. They were dispatched to investigate an automatic fire alarm controlled by the building’s sprinkler system. The fire was located in an apartment on the fifth floor. Crews performed search and rescue on the sixth and seventh floors, and made sure three floors — the fifth, sixth and seventh — were evacuated, according to a Mason City Fire Department statement issued Monday. The rest of the building also was evacuated. Firefighters say the blaze was contained to bedding and a bed, although there was smoke damage throughout the apartment. Mason City Fire Marshal Jamey Medlin said the fire would have been far worse had it not been kept in check by the building’s sprinkler system. The quick actions by emergency responders, which also included the North Iowa CERT, also made a difference, he said. “There were no life-threatening injuries to occupants of the building, and residents were able to return to their apartment(s) later that morning or by early afternoon,” he said in the statement. Owned by Good Shepherd, Shalom Tower 2 a 48-unit complex with residents who are age 55 and older. Officials say 44 residents were assisted during the fire.
