Category Archives: Other – Residential

Other - Residential, Residential

Victoria, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at former hotel; No injuries reported

About 20 residents of a former Port Alberni hotel converted into residences were out of their homes Saturday after a fire ripped through a suite, causing smoke, water and electrical damage to the building.

The fire department arrived to the Angus Street building, located between Third and Fourth avenues, at 9:20 a.m. with an engine and ladder truck.

Port Alberni Fire Chief Mike Owens said the blaze was contained to one suite and proved difficult to fully extinguish due to what he called a “hoarding environment.” But he said the sprinkler and alarm systems in the two-storey structure worked properly and alerted residents inside.

No one was injured in the blaze.

However, the department had to ask B.C. Hydro to cut power to the building as water from sprinklers seeped into suites on the lower floors.

Emergency Support Service providers were notified and temporary accommodations are being found for the residents. The B.C. SPCA was called to care for several cats and dogs, said Owen.

Owens said an investigation into the fire is ongoing and could not say when residents would be able to return to the building.

Other - Residential, Residential

Pacifica, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-family residence; No injuries reported

Two people in Pacifica have been displaced following a fire in their residence on Monday evening, the North County Fire Authority said.

Six fire companies responded to the blaze in the 900 block of Linda Mar Boulevard at approximately 7:19 p.m.

Firefighters arrived and found smoke coming from a multi-family residence. They made an aggressive attack and began search and rescue operations but no one was inside at the time, the Fire Authority said.

The fire was extinguished and no other buildings were affected. The North County Fire Authority noted that the building’s sprinkler system activated, which confined the fire to its origin area.

Two residents are now displaced and are being aided by the Red Cross.

There were no injuries.

This fire is currently under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Quebec City, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire in underground parking lot

Hyundai recalled some 77,000 Kona EVs in 2020 due to the risk of them bursting into flames from possibly defective battery packs and even though it supposedly fixed all vehicles that potentially had problems, the fires didn’t completely go away. Now another electric Kona caught fire while it was parked in an underground parking lot in Quebec City, Canada.

Firefighters responded to the call but they say they first had to ventilate the underground part of the building in order to gain access to the vehicle in order to extract it from the garage. They quickly managed to do that and even though they say it was the battery pack that was the source of the fire, this particular Hyundai Kona Electric has much less damage compared to others we’ve seen.

It is also noted that the vehicle was parked under a sprinkler for the emergency fire suppression system and even though the battery pack (the source of the fire) was under the car where water couldn’t quite reach it, it probably played its part in keeping the fire contained and preventing it from spreading to other cars parked nearby.

It was not noted in any of the reports that we found whether or not the vehicle had been plugged in and charging when the fire started.

The fire was reported at around 4 AM and firefighters decided to evacuate the entire eight-story building to make sure everyone was safe. Even though the fire was contained and flames were never visible from the outside, smoke had apparently entered the building’s ventilation ducts, posing health risks and making the evacuation necessary.

Everybody was given the green light to return to their homes two hours later and the fire reportedly caused no damage to the building or any of the other cars parked there at the time.

Other - Residential, Residential

Westfield, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at residential building; No injuries reported

Firefighters responded to 27 Washington St. Thursday morning after a fire was reported on the third floor of the residential building.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which was called in at 11:48 a.m., but all residents of the building have safely been evacuated until the cleanup can be complete and the fire suppression system in the building can be restored.

Deputy Chief Eric Bishop said the fire began near a refrigerator on the third floor, but the cause is still under investigation.

“Engine crews got to the third floor and found heavy smoke, and other crews evacuated people who had not yet left the building,” said Bishop.

There was some fire and smoke damage on the third floor. Bishop said minimal water was needed to put the fire out because it was mostly contained by the sprinkler system, which firefighters supported by adding water and pressure.

Other - Residential, Residential

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at homeless shelter; No injuries reported

A fire that originated in a suite in the Lighthouse in Saskatoon resulted in several residents fleeing the building overnight.

The Lighthouse is a supported living facility and homeless shelter in the city.

In a release, the Saskatoon Fire Department said it received a report of a fire in a third floor suite at around 3:19 a.m. CST on Friday. When fire crews arrived, they saw occupants from that floor leaving the building.

The fire department said the fire created heavy smoke but low heat, because the sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in a small state. Fire crews finished putting out the fire.

It said fire damage was contained to the one suite, but water had drained from the suite and affected approximately 15 suites, mainly ceiling tiles.

Initially, the fire department said it was possible some residents might need to be rehoused as a result of the fire. Later Friday morning, it said no residents will be displaced, as significant water damage was confined to the one suite and the Lighthouse will accommodate its occupant.

The department said cleanup is underway and the suite is expected to be fit for occupancy by early next week.

A fire investigator determined the cause was accidental due to improper disposal of smoking material, the department said. Damage was initially estimated at $150,000, but that has since been revised down to $40,000.

No one was injured.

Other - Residential, Residential

Campbell RIver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at homeless housing facility

No injuries to report after flames broke out in a top floor unit at a supportive housing facility in Campbell River.

Just after 11:30 last night (Wednesday), Campbell River fire chief Thomas Doherty says crews were dispatched to Q’waxsem Place.

The 50-unit building, located at 580 Dogwood St., opened in February and provides homes with 24/7 support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

According to Doherty, an alarm call is what first prompted Campbell River Fire Rescue to attend.

Once on scene, he says crews quickly noticed smoke spewing out a third-floor window. They then utilized hose lines, working to extinguish the blaze in hopes it wouldn’t spread to other units.

But Doherty says the building’s sprinkler system did activate, which played an ‘instrumental’ role in getting the job done.

The cause of the fire is now under investigation.

“All said and done, there’s damage to the one unit on the third floor, and a little bit of water damage as well to some subsequent units,” Doherty explains. 

However, while a number of residents did evacuate before firefighters arrived, others did not, which posed a challenge, Doherty tells My Campbell River Now.

Eventually, everyone made it out. Doherty notes that a transit bus stopped by, offering a warm and dry place for residents to stay while crews assessed the damage.

“We were fortunate to be able to let the occupants return to their units, with the exception of those that were damaged,” he adds.

Other - Residential, Residential

Gasden, AL – Sprinkler system helps put out kitchen fire at group home; No injuries reported

A bad situation Saturday morning could have been a tragic one, according to Rainbow City firefighters, when a kitchen fire started in a group home.

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the home, Nick Hill of the RBC Fire Department said in a press release, and while en route, they received an update that a heat/smoke alarm and a sprinkler system at the home had activated.

Rainbow City Dispatch told firefighters a caller said grease had boiled out of a pot onto a stove, starting the fire.

“Upon arriving on scene we found smoke exiting the structure,” Hill said. Crews went to work to locate anyone who might be in the structure and to battle the blaze, he said.

“Search and Rescue crews found that there was a bed-bound subject within the home,” Hill said. That person was safely brought out of the home.

Fire fighting crews found a small fire on the stove in the kitchen, he said, but thanks to the activation of the sprinkler system, there was minimal damage.

“What fire remained was still burning due to the stove hood blocking the water from the sprinkler,” Hill explained. The fire was extinguished with a dry chemical extinguisher, and crews checked for fire extension into the walls and cabinets.

They found no evidence the fire had spread further.

All occupants in the residence were accounted for and safe, Hill said. Property owners and managers were looking into finding a place to move the occupants until the residence was repaired.

The outcome of this incident, Hill said, can be greatly attributed to the working smoke/heat alarms and the properly working sprinkler system.

Rainbow City Fire Rescue has a smoke alarm installation program to install smoke alarms in the homes in Rainbow City at no charge to the residential property owner, he said.

“This is a program provided by anonymous donors at a state level, ‘Get Alarmed Alabama!’ and ‘The Alabama Fire College,’” he explained.

For any questions about the smoke alarm installation program contact Rainbow City Fire Rescue at (256) 442-2511.

Other - Residential, Residential

Macon, GA – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at Home for Children and Youth; No injuries reported

The Methodist Home for Children and Youth says they’re thankful after Macon-Bibb firefighters put out fire near one of their buildings Saturday night.

CEO of the home, Alison Evans, says she got a call around 6:45 p.m. that a golf cart parked under a breezeway to an administration building had caught fire. 

The golf cart was battery powered, and something in it malfunctioned, according to the Macon-Bibb Fire Department.

The department says there was no major damage to the breezeway itself other than soot buildup and some water damage inside the building due to a sprinkler. 

Evans says the fire was not near any of their children’s homes, and there were no injuries. The home is operating as normal. 

They lost a golf cart, but Evans says she’s happy with the fire department’s response. 

The Methodist Home for Children and Youth is located off Pierce Avenue.

Other - Residential, Residential

Grand Forks, ND – Kitchen fire put out by fire sprinklers at group home; No injuries reported

Six people have been forced out of their homes after a kitchen fire broke out in a Grand Forks REM house, how long is uncertain.

Fire broke out this morning around 9 at 415 N. 51 St.

By the time crews got to the scene, a sprinkler system had put out the bulk of the fire.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the fire.

The kitchen has moderate smoke and fire damage.

No one was hurt.