Category Archives: Residential

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Brick, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at home; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system installed during renovations at a Brick Township home helped to limit a fire at the home on Thursday morning, Brick Township fire officials said.

The home on Cedar Island Drive was unoccupied when the fire broke out, said Kevin Batzel, chief of the Brick Township Bureau of Fire Safety. There were no injuries reported.

The fire was reported about 6:30 a.m. and was confirmed by Officer Joseph Sansone, who then called in the remainder of Brick’s fire companies to fight the fire.

The fire started on the lower part of the exterior of the home, according to the preliminary investigation, Batzel said. It traveled up the house and broke through into the interior on the upper floors of the house.

He said the sprinklers had been installed as part of recent reconstruction, and sprinkler heads in bedrooms on the second and third floors activated, “which held the fire in check until the fire department arrived.”

The sprinklers slowed the spread of the fire throughout the home and “gave firefighters valuable time to extinguish the fire and minimize damage,” Batzel said.

“Residential fire sprinklers are required in some larger constructed or renovated homes such as this one,” he said, adding that they provide another layer of protection to go along with smoke detectors.

Assistant Fire Marshal Robert Kurilla is investigating.

Batzel praised Brick Township’s firefighters and thanked all of the mutual aid partners for their assistance with the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire on fourth floor of housing building

A small fire in a fourth-floor bathroom at Uncle Bob’s Place on Monday was quickly put out by the building’s sprinkler system, preventing what could have been a much more serious incident.

Property managers arrived after getting an alert from the building’s alarm and sprinkler system. They found that a towel had caught fire in the bathroom. No one was home at the time, and according to the Seattle Fire Department, it wasn’t clear whether the fire was set intentionally.

No one was displaced, and damage was limited to some smoke staining in the bathroom and minor water intrusion in the unit below.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Seymour, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at assisted living facility; No injuries reported

The Seymour Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched to an assisted living facility after reports of a structure fire on Monday at around 12:30 a.m.

Upon arrival, fire crews advanced an attack line while simultaneously executing a room-to-room search of the building to evacuate the residents. Many occupants had already been evacuated by the facility’s staff before SFD arrived. Firefighters and Jackson County EMS helped evacuate one bedridden patient.

Seymour Community Schools Transportation Director Tim Fosbrink provided a bus to transport the residents to a hotel where they were checked into rooms.

Upon investigation, the fire was contained to one room at the facility, and the point of origin was a wall-mounted heat/AC unit that experienced an electrical/mechanical failure. The unit was taken to the Seymour Fire Department for further examination.

The facility’s sprinkler system was activated, and the centralized alarm performed appropriately. There were no reports of injuries, and all residents were accounted for.

Apartment Building, Residential

Collegedale, TN – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at apartment complex

A sprinkler system prevented a major fire at an apartment complex in Collegedale Sunday, May 5.

The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department says they were dispatched to Hawthorne at the Summit apartments around 4:30pm after a fire alarm was activated.

When crews arrived, they discovered that an unattended candle caught a towel on fire inside one of the units, which activated the sprinkler system.

The fire was out before firefighters even made it on scene.

Flames were contained to the bathroom. Two apartments sustained water damage from the sprinkler.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Hollywood, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in 22-story high rise; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system put out a fire that broke out in a 22-story high rise in Hollywood Sunday morning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to 1522 N. Gordon St., north of Sunset Boulevard, just before 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the LAFD.

“Firefighters made entry and determined there was a sprinkler activation on the 14th floor. Upon arriving on the fire floor, crews located a ‘fire out,'” the LAFD said.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters remained on the scene to conduct salvage operations and remove water that had accumulated due to the sprinklers.

Apartment Building

Sprinklers Limit Fire Damages At Ashburn Residential Complex

ASHBURN, VA — Sprinklers helped contain a fire at a multifamily residential building in Ashburn Saturday, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Units responded to a fire alarm around 7:20 a.m. Saturday to the 20000 block of Lazy River Terrace. Multiple 911 calls alerted emergency personnel to smoke coming from the first floor and alarms throughout the building. The incident was upgraded to a structure fire response, bringing in units from Lansdowne, Ashburn, Leesburg, Kincora, and Sterling. Crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system in the garage space on the first floor. There was no extension of the fire beyond the garage space.

No residents or firefighters were injured.

The fire marshal’s office said the cause of the fire was combustible materials stored against a golf cart’s battery charger. The battery unit did not have adequate airflow to cool, leading to combustible materials catching fire. Damages were estimated to be $7,000.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said the fire caused potential for significant property damage and loss of life without the sprinkler system. The building had working fire alarms and automatic sprinkler systems. The fire department has been advocating for requiring automatic fire sprinklers in more residential homes. A National Fire Protection Association report notes that home fire fatalities 2017 to 2021 were 89 percent lower with fire sprinklers, and firefighter injuries were 48 percent lower with home sprinklers.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential, School / University

Macomb, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at university hall

A fire at Western Illinois University Grote Hall led to $20,000 in damages. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading.

At 8:55 p.m., Wednesday, January 15, the Macomb Fire Department was dispatched to a water flow alarm at Grote Hall, 720 W Adams Street on the campus of Western Illinois University (WIU) in Macomb.

While enroute, the WIU Office of Public Safety (OPS) advised that they had smoke and flames in room 410. The first arriving units arrived on scene at 9:01 p.m. and began high-rise standpipe operations. Fire command made contact with OPS who had discharged two fire extinguishers on the fire.

The interior firefighting crew stretched a hose line to the fire room and finished extinguishing the fire. The fire was contained to a waste basket in the room.

The fire activated a sprinkler within the closet of the room and kept the fire from spreading. Multiple rooms sustained smoke and water damage and at least two residents were displaced.

Four on-duty firefighters responded to the call and nine additional firefighters responded to a crew callback. Emmet- Chalmers and Good Hope Fire Departments responded to the scene and assisted with primary searches of the building.

The fire was deemed under control at 9:12 PM. All units cleared at 11:21 p.m. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital for observation and was treated and released.

A smoke alarm was present in the room, however, did not alarm due to the device being obstructed by the resident. Once the sprinkler system activated the water flow alarm notified OPS dispatch of the fire.

The structure sustained fire, smoke, and water damage throughout and has an estimated loss of $20,000. The fire was investigated by the Macomb Fire Department and WIU OPS. The fire was deemed unintentional due to improper disposal of ignited materials.

The Macomb Fire Department wants to again remind citizens that smoke detectors are essential safety devices that play a crucial role in protecting lives and property by providing early warning of smoke or fire. Tampering with smoke detectors can lead to criminal charges.

The following agencies assisted: McDonough County Communications Center, Macomb IL Police, WIU OPS, WIU Support Staff, Lifeguard Ambulance Service of Illinois, Emmet- Chalmers FPD, Good Hope FPD, and the City of Macomb Public Works.

Apartment Building, Residential

Everett, WA – Sprinkler system controls overnight apartment fire; No injuries reported

According to the Everett Fire Department, an early morning fire Thursday at the Station Place Apartments in Everett displaced seven residents but was quickly extinguished due to an effective sprinkler system.

The fire department responded to an automatic fire alarm at 3315 Broadway at 12:35 a.m.

After residents reported seeing smoke and flames from a third-story apartment, the call was upgraded to a commercial fire response.

Firefighters arriving on the scene found residents evacuating and a small kitchen fire in a third-floor unit.

The building’s sprinkler system was controlling the fire.

Crews stretched a hose line to the third floor while others assisted with the water supply and conducted searches of adjoining apartments and the building.

While no injuries were reported, the apartment where the fire originated sustained some fire and water damage.

At least two units on the second floor and a business space on the main floor also experienced water damage.

The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of the first crew’s arrival due to the prompt action of firefighters and the sprinkler system, officials said.

Firefighters then spent several hours working on salvage and cleanup.

The Red Cross was contacted to assist the seven displaced residents.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Parma, OH – Sprinkler system controls fire at nursing home; No injuries reported

A fire that broke out in the basement of a Parma nursing home on Monday was swiftly controlled by the facility’s sprinkler system before firefighters arrived. Around 5 p.m., the call prompted the Parma Fire Department to respond to reports of smoke and a possible fire at Parma Care Center, located at 5553 Broadview Road. Fortunately, the nursing home and rehabilitation center, with a capacity of 96 residents, did not have to face any injuries or displacement from the incident.

According to a statement from Fire Chief Mike Lasky, as reported by FOX8 News, the fire was quickly identified as in the basement and contained by the sprinklers installed within the building. Firefighters could fully extinguish the flames upon their arrival, preventing further damage. The efficiency of the fire suppression system was praised, with Lasky pointing out that this is a “great example of well maintained as well as regularly inspected fire suppression and alarm systems working properly to mitigate the risk of fire spread.”

The incident was a close call for residents and staff at Parma Care Center but served as a testament to the importance of proper fire safety measures. Details regarding the cause of the fire remain under investigation. Despite the limited scale of the fire, the quick reaction of the building’s safety systems and the prompt response from the local fire department ensured that the blaze did not escalate, as posted by the Parma Fire Department on their social media.

“No one was hurt or displaced by the fire,” reads the social media post by the Parma Fire Department, underscoring the incident’s fortunate conclusion. Further reporting from local news outlet FOX8 echoed this sentiment, highlighting that no firefighters or any of the facility’s 96 residents were injured during the blaze. As local authorities continue to investigate and pinpoint the exact cause of the fire, the community breathes a sigh of relief thanks to the effective deployment of safety measures that helped safely contain the potentially dangerous situation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Yorkville, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes dryer fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

The Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District responded late Monday night to a dryer fire at an apartment complex in Yorkville.

No one was hurt, and the fire was extinguished by a sprinkler system before crews arrived. The incident occurred around 11:40 p.m.

All residents were able to evacuate safely.

Firefighters removed the dryer, checked for any additional fires, ventilated the building, and assisted an adjacent unit with water intrusion.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it was contained to the single dryer. Fire crews were on the scene for about two hours.