Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Butte, MT – Sprinkler system praised for minimizing fire damage at off-campus housing

A sprinkler activation system successfully limited the damage after an early-morning house fire broke out at off-campus Montana Tech student housing at 1038 Missoula Ave. on Friday.

At 5:42 a.m. Friday, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in apartment 1032 and kept it from spreading to the interior of the apartment and adjoining apartments.

The fire originated in an exterior barbecue used the previous evening, according to Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department responders.

One of three male occupants suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated, and A-1 Ambulance transported him to the hospital, according to a county press release.

The fire damaged exterior siding, two large exterior windows, the front door, and an overhead awning. It resulted in water damage, but the sprinkler system confined the fire to the exterior and kept it from engulfing the entire residential complex, saving lives and limiting property damage, according to the report.

Fire crews cleared the scene after 7 a.m. Responders included the BSB police and the Big Butte Fire Department.

“We thank Montana Tech for having a properly installed and maintained automatic fire sprinkler system,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Doherty.

Total cost damages to the involved structure were minimal, he said. A-1 Ambulance transported the injured civilian to the emergency room. His condition is unknown.“

This is a great sprinkler success story. The facilities sprinkler and alarm systems did their jobs,” said Doherty.

“There were no fatalities, minimal amounts of property damage, and after some minor clean-up, this apartment should be back up and running quickly. This is a great example of how sprinklers save lives; they are efficient, effective, and essential in protecting both lives and property.”

Friday afternoon, cleaners from Dayspring Restoration were tearing out damaged carpets and cleaning up smoke damage. Workers Matt Popham and Patrick Hennessey estimated the cleanup would take two weeks to a month. 

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Geneva, OH – Sprinkler system contains nursing home fire; No injuries reported

Emergency workers were beginning to evacuate an undetermined number of patients from the Rae-Ann Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 839 W. Main St., late Thursday night after a dryer fire caused smoke to spread throughout the building, said Bob Russell, Geneva Fire Department public information officer.

“We had a dryer fire in the basement that actually started the sprinkler system,” Russell said.

The fire call came about 8:40 p.m. and when firefighters arrived they had some “mop-up” work to do but the fire was almost extinguished, he said. However, some areas of the nursing home were not immediately fit for patients to return.

Patients were moved to secure areas as firefighters ventilated the building and worked on plans for moving those in areas that were deemed unable to be used for the night, Russell said.

A long line of emergency vehicles blocked Route 20 as they awaited instructions on the evacuation to different sites. At about 10 p.m. some of the vehicles were moved into position to take patients away. At that time, firefighters did not know where residents were being taken or how many would be transported, Russell said.”

As far as I know there were no injuries,” Russell said.Ambulances and engines from multiple departments were used, including Jefferson, Saybrook Township, Madison Fire District, Geneva, Ashtabula, Ashtabula Township, Perry, Harpersfield Township, Geneva-on-the-Lake as well as South Central Ambulance District and Northwest Ambulance District.

Apartment Building, Residential

Duluth, MN – Sprinkler system activates in response to apartment balcony fire

A small balcony fire at a Duluth complex led to damage in three apartments on Friday.

Gwinnett County firefighters were called to the Bridgewater Apartments complex, at 1500 Ridge Brook Trail, at 2:16 p.m. on a report of an apartment fire. When they got to the complex, smoke led to the balcony of a third-floor apartment where they found a smoldering fire in a charcoal meat smoker.“

The fire was contained to the outer-decking material of the balcony and sent heat and smoke inside the apartment unit,” Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said. “A sprinkler activated inside the apartment due to radiant heat.”

No one was injured by the fire, but the balcony had minor damage and the sprinkler caused residual water damage in the apartment, as well as two other apartments directly beneath it, Rutledge said. He said the complex’s maintenance personnel tried to put out the fire with portable fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters found the fire and got it under control by 2:34 p.m., about 11 minutes after they arrived.

Residential, Single Family Home

Wilmington, NC – Habitat for Humanity home protected from extensive fire damage by residential sprinkler system

Wilmington Fire Department units responded to a house fire Saturday evening at 1406 Corbett Street.

According to Wilmington Fire Department PIO David Hines, the call came in around 7 p.m. It was caused by a grease fire that had flared up out of control. The fire then activated the residential fire sprinkler system that extinguished the fire. Once units arrived on scene, the fire had already been put out by the sprinkler system.

When the firefighters arrived on scene, they shut off the water to the house to stop the flow from the activated head and performed ventilation procedures to remove smoke from the resident.

The home where this fire occurred was a home that was built by Habitat for Humanity in 2011. Due to the residential sprinkler system in the home, fire and smoke damage was minimal, estimated at $350.00. The damages were contained to the area immediately surrounding the flare-up.

Hines said there were no injuries reported and the occupants of the home were not displaced. He said even with the occupants at home, these types of fires without sprinkler systems, normally result in much more damage and/or injuries.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Oconomowoc, WI – Sprinkler system contains cooking fire at senior apartment building

Oconomowoc officials responded to a fire near 3rd and Main Street Thursday, December 29th.

Authorities say this was a cooking fire and it was out before firefighters arrived at the scene.

According to fire officials, 11 people have been displaced as a result of water damage from the sprinklers. Some will stay with family and others are being helped by the American Red Cross.

Two people suffered smoke inhalation but were not taken to the hospital.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Richfield, MN – Fire on 6th floor of condominium building held in check by sprinkler system; No injuries

Richfield firefighters responded to a kitchen fire on the 6th floor of the Gramercy Park Cooperative condominium complex around 2 p.m. December 18.  A sprinkler system in the complex, located across from Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, kept the fire in check until crews could arrive, according to Richfield Fire Chief Wayne Kewitsch, a staunch advocate of fire sprinkler systems in private residences.  The fire resulted in no injuries. The cause was ruled to accidental, according to Kewitsch.

 

Apartment Building, Residential

Lexington, KY – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in apartment blaze; No injuries reported

The Lexington Fire Department was able to make quick work of a fire at an apartment complex on Larkin Road, that caused dozens of residents to evacuate. Firefighters say somewhere between 24 to 36 people were already coming out of the building by the time they arrived.  Investigators credit fire alarms and the sprinkler system for getting people out quickly and helping to keep the fire from spreading.  According to firefighters, the flames were contained in the originating apartment, with only about 4 units working with building management on finding alternative housing until they can get back into their apartments.  Other occupants were able to return to their homes.  No injuries were reported.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

St. Charles, MD – Overnight fire at assisted living facility controlled with help from sprinkler system

Deputy State fire Marshals investigated an accidental fire that occurred at the Morningside House of St. Charles four-story assisted living facility at 70 Village Street in Waldorf, Charles County. The property is owned and operated by the Senior Lifestyle Corporation.  The 11:47 p.m. fire activated the smoke detection system and fire sprinkler system allowing occupants of forty apartments on the second and third floors to evacuate without injury. Occupants on the first and fourth floors were safely sheltered in place.  Nearly 50 firefighters from Charles and Prince George’s Counties assisted the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department at the scene.

The fire was contained to the malfunctioning wall mounted heating and air conditioning appliance inside apartment #214. The damage to the structure and contents was confined to fire and smoke damage to the apartment of origin and water throughout the second floor.  Occupants of the second floor are being temporarily relocated elsewhere in the facility during clean-up.  Damage estimates were limited to $40,000 to the structure and contents. 

Residential fire sprinklers are effectively proven to save lives and reduce the costs associated when an uncontrolled fire develops. Fires occurring in unprotected structures of this type often are the result of significant injuries or worse to occupants along with a high dollar value loss and extended lengths of time for restoration of the building.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential, Residential High Rise

Evanston, IL – Fire at senior residential high rise controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Evanston fire crews responded to a report of a fire on the 9th floor of The Mather at 425 Davis St. shortly before noon.  Fire Division Chief Paul Polep says a resident of the retirement community had left a stove top burner on which ignited a basket of goods on the counter top.  Polep says the the sprinkler system in the apartment had brought the fire under control by the time fire fighters arrived.  Residents of the floor evacuated safely, Polep says, and there were no injuries reported.