Category Archives: Other – Residential

Other - Residential, Residential

Quesnel, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated at housing center

Four people were rescued from a fire at the Bridges Supportive Housing building in Quesnel this (Wednesday) afternoon.

The Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department was called to Elliott Street just before 2 o’clock.

We spoke with Fire Chief Ron Richert on the scene.

“Upon arrival we had a room on the second floor that had an active fire and heavy smoke. Crews were able to act quick and get that person, we had one person transported to G.R. Baker, they were rescued out of the building quite quickly. We did have three people on the third floor that were rescued, and the remaining occupants were quickly evacuated out of the building.”

Richert says the sprinkler system helped to suppress most of the fire, although he says there is some damage.

“We do have quite a bit of water damage on the first and second floors.”

Richert says they had a very quick response from the fire department, BC Ambulance, and the RCMP.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Coralville, IA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at multi-family residence

A fire broke out at a multi-family residence on Russell Slade Blvd. in Coralville late Monday afternoon, but thanks to a sprinkler system, the blaze was quickly brought under control.

The Coralville Fire Department responded to the scene at approximately 5:15 p.m., discovering that the fire had started in the kitchen of one of the apartments.

The sprinkler system activated immediately, containing and extinguishing the fire before it could spread to other parts of the building. As a result, the apartment suffered only minor smoke and water damage.

Sprinkler systems are designed to automatically respond to fires, either controlling or extinguishing them before they have a chance to grow. They reduces fire damage and give people extra time to evacuate safely.

The Coralville Fire Department say a well-maintained sprinkler system can be the difference between a minor incident and a catastrophic event.

Other - Residential, Residential

Evansville, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at shelter

A Thursday night fire at Albion Fellows Bacon Center damaged the shelter and left one employee with smoke inhalation, the organization said.

According to a Friday afternoon news release, “residents have been safely relocated and alternate plans for providing services have been enacted.” Albion has long housed people who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse.

Ashley McReynolds, Albion’s director of advancement, said the fire started around 10:30 p.m. The damage primarily occurred in the kitchen, but there’s also water damage to “several communal living spaces” after the Evansville Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

“We are unsure how long it will take for the shelter to reopen as insurance adjusters, fire department, etc., are still evaluating,” she told the Courier & Press. “But all other services, including our crisis lines and response service, are still operating normally.”

McReynolds provided security camera images that show a thick coil of fire rising from what appears to be a stove. The photo doesn’t show anyone in the room at the time.

The damage was limited thanks to a sprinkler system the organization recently installed after receiving grant funding from the West Side Nut Club, the City of Evansville Endowment fund, and the Brave Heart Foundation, Albion said in a subsequent news release.

The injured employee, who Albion didn’t name, also played a huge role in attempting to put out the fire, as well as evacuating residents and their pets to safety.

The employee is recovering from their injuries and is “being hailed as acting calmly and heroically,” the release states.

Albion will work with the YWCA, Holly’s House and others to continue to provide shelter to women and men in need while restoration efforts are underway. All other services are still up and running.

Other - Residential, Residential

Swift Current, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-tenant building

A small late-night fire yesterday at a multi-tenant building in Swift Current was tackled mostly by the building’s fire suppression system.

The Swift Current Fire Department was called into action at 8:30 p.m. as alarms were ringing on the 300 block of 2nd Avenue Northwest.

Fire crews arrived to evacuation already underway but assisted two occupants from the building to safety.

Light smoke was seen coming from the building with the sprinkler system activated.

“They’ve been shown time and time again that they’re effective and they really help contain a fire until we get there,” Swift Current Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Dean Diguer said.

Structural and content damage was noted but Diguer chalked that up mostly to water damage, not the fire itself.

The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Auburn, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at low-income community; No injuries reported

Firefighters extinguished a fire at the Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek complex on Sunday night.

CAL FIRE/Placer County firefighters responded to the multifamily structure on First Street before 9 p.m. According to CAL FIRE, first arriving personnel reported smoke showing from the third floor of the three-story complex.

Placer County Sheriff’s deputies evacuated 10 adjacent apartments on both sides of the fire. CAL FIRE reported the affected unit was fully charged with smoke, with a fire in the back corner and an active fire sprinkler.

“The modern building construction and sprinkler systems held the fire in check for the short time prior to firefighters extinguishing the fire,” CAL FIRE reported on its Facebook on Monday afternoon.

CAL FIRE confirmed the fire was extinguished 10 minutes after dispatch and three apartments sustained major fire and water damage. CAL FIRE also replaced the sprinkler and recharged the system.

There were no injuries due to the fire. The cause remains under investigation.

Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek is a community of 79 homes for low-income and special-needs families. Located on 3 acres of county-owned property on First Street at the Placer County Government Center, Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek includes 32 two-bedroom apartments, 25 three-bedroom apartments and 22 one-bedroom apartments.

Residents began moving in Jan. 24, 2022, and a ceremony was held in mid May 2022, which included a ribbon cutting and speeches with several area officials attending.

Doug Shoemaker, president of Mercy Housing California, said that day all 79 homes were occupied by working people and about 20 others who were homeless at one time. They were to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. A few residents stood outside their new homes watching the ceremony.

Other - Residential, Residential

Marshalltown, IA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at veterans home; No injuries reported

The Marshalltown Fire Department was called to battle a small blaze on the fourth floor of the Dack Building on the Iowa Veterans Home campus Tuesday morning, but thankfully, no injuries were reported.

At 4:41 a.m., the MFD was dispatched to IVH for a fire alarm with smoke observed and sprinkler activation reported, according to a press release. Crews arrived to find light smoke and an active sprinkler in a room on the fourth floor of the Dack building.

One resident had been removed from the room prior to the fire department’s arrival. Residents were also evacuated from the wing and several rooms on the floor below.

Fire personnel, assisted by IVH staff, were able to control the sprinkler and did a brief overhaul of the room. It was found that a small fire involving an overheated electronic device as well as a basket, papers, and a window shade had set the sprinkler off and caused a moderate amount of smoke to spread throughout the wing.

Damage from the fire was contained to the room of origin however water from the sprinkler system contributed to damage on several floors. No injuries were reported. Fire personnel were on scene for approximately two hours and were assisted by the Marshalltown Police Department and IVH staff.

Mayor Joel Greer and Commandant Todd Jacobus were both highly complimentary of the fire department’s response to the situation, with Jacobus opining that the MFD “has a great team.” Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact the MFD at 641-754-5751.

Other - Residential, Residential

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at two-story residential facility

Several dozen people had to be evacuated from a two-story residential facility due to a fire in southwest Fresno Wednesday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews say they responded to M.L.K. Jr. Blvd and Annadale Avenue for a small fire on the first floor, which was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The facility had extensive water damage and many of the occupants were temporarily displaced.

Fire officials say one person was transported to a local hospital with smoke inhalation. Fire investigators say an oxygen generator may have been the cause of the fire.

Other - Residential, Residential

Berkeley, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at supportive housing facility

A fire broke out at the Hope Center in downtown Berkeley when a lithium-ion battery overheated Monday night, authorities report.

Battalion Chief Brian Harryman of the Berkeley Fire Department credited the Hope Center’s fire sprinkler system with putting out the blaze before it spread.

“It probably saved the whole building,” he said.

The Hope Center, which opened in 2022 on the site of a former city parking lot, has 53 supportive housing units while Berkeley Way Apartments, part of the same complex, has 89 affordable units and services for low-income families.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Hope Center, at 2012 Berkeley Way, just before 8:30 p.m. Monday for a report of smoke on the third floor.

“We’re getting reports of somebody blowing up their room, unknown what that means,” a dispatcher told the Berkeley Fire Department as the call came in.

Thanks to proximity, Berkeley firefighters arrived at the Hope Center in under a minute, Harryman said: BFD’s Station 2 is just across the street about 100 feet away.

Inside the apartment, firefighters found scooters and lithium-ion batteries that had been charging unattended.

The fire was out quickly thanks to the sprinkler system, but the water caused “considerable damage” to the apartment where the batteries were charging.

Several adjacent units saw minimal damage due to water that got in beneath the doors.

Firefighters had to manually turn off the sprinklers to control the flow.

“There’s a considerable amount of water damage,” a firefighter said over the radio just before 8:40 p.m., adding: “We’re going to need squeegees and manpower.”

All of the residents were able to return to their rooms aside from the unit where the fire happened.

Fortunately, Harryman said, a friend in the building offered that resident a place to stay.

“We checked around and all the shelters were full. All the hotels were full,” he said. “We really didn’t have a place to send him.”

Harryman noted that some of the scooter rental companies pay people to charge lithium-ion batteries for them. But he said he did not know if that had been the case on Berkeley Way.

BFD strongly discourages anyone from charging lithium-ion batteries inside their homes, he added. Even outside, they should not be left unattended.

“Don’t plug them in and leave for the day or leave them for the weekend,” he said. “These things are overcharging, heating up and causing fires. If you are going to charge it, remain home with it and don’t charge it inside.”

Last year, the city of Berkeley announced in June that six recent fires had been caused by unattended lithium battery charging.

“These local battery fires — involving e-skateboards, e-scooters, and at least one e-bike — have also been seen around the region and nation,” the city wrote.

The city also noted that fires could “occur spontaneously while charging” and advised anyone noticing signs of fire, such as smoke, gas and sparks, to evacuate the area and immediately call 911.

Lithium battery safety tips from the city of Berkeley:

  • Only use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries and replacements
  • Charge only until the battery is full, then disconnect
  • Keep the battery away from heat, cold and flammable items while charging and storing
  • Discard distressed batteries (those that are swollen, dented or otherwise damaged) at a drop-off site — not in your garbage can

Learn more from the city of Berkeley about fire risks related to lithium-ion batteries.

Other - Residential, Residential

Elyria, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at group home

A working sprinkler system prevented a group home from being severely damaged in a weekend fire, according to Elyria firefighters.

When crews arrived on Academy Court Saturday, they said the main body of the fire had already been extinguished.

Firefighters helped get the smoke from the building and also assisted with water removal, which eliminated further damage, said firefighters.

The cause remains under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes mattress fire at supportive housing building; No injuries reported

The Kelowna Fire Department responded to a blaze in the northern end of the city’s downtown core Saturday morning, Feb. 3.

A fire on the third floor of Ellis Place, a supportive housing building located at 1055 Ellis Street prompted occupants of the building to evacuate and a road closure between Recreation Avenue and Gaston Avenue.

The building was fully evacuated by the time 17 crew members responded to the blaze at around 10:40 a.m.

Everyone was accounted for and there were no injuries, said Capt. Corrie Lang from the KFD.

“It turned out to be a smoldering mattress in one of the units and the sprinkler system extinguished the fire,” Lang said. “Mostly smoke and water damage now.”

The road has since reopened, with crews currently cleaning up the scene.

Lang said the cause of the fire is unknown.

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