Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Nashville, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire on apartment building 27th floor; No injuries reported

The Nashville Fire Department (NFD) said 350 units were displaced after a fire broke out at a downtown apartment complex on Sunday morning.

NFD said a kitchen fire started on the 27th floor of the 505 apartment complex. The sprinkler in the unit put the fire out, however, the water caused the unit to flood and created another electrical fire.

“A resident had placed a wicker basket on a stove that had burned, and their sprinkling system did activate so that fire was technically out upon arrival of our crews, but that water had begun to flow throughout that unit and the floor, because of the sprinkler activation,” Kendra Loney with NFD said.

Firefighters said the water poured into an electrical room and sparked another fire on the 24th floor.

“There were multiple fires that started throughout the building, and they had to be put out, the sprinkler system did what it was set to do, but water and electricity just don’t work,” Loney said.

NFD said 528 units were evacuated. the unit the fire started in is significantly damaged and several units have water damage.

“Honestly we thought it was like one of those drills,” said Eya Dufresne, a 505 resident. “I woke up to the fire department knocking on our door and saying you have to be evacuated. We had like what felt like minutes to be out.”

Dufresne and her boyfriend Chris Clark had to rush out of their 26th-floor apartment at 505 Church Street.

“We had 52 flights of stairs to go down and we had to bring our 40-pound dog down,” Clark said.

Even though Clark and Dufresne brought their dog down, they had one other worry.

“I’m a little nervous, we brought our dog down, but we left our cat,” Dufresne said.

While firefighters worked to make sure that some of the units were safe to re-enter, Dufresne prayed for her cat, Pluto.

“Things could come and go, but as long as Pluto is okay, we’ll be fine,” Dufresne said.

NFD said no one in the building was hurt. People living on floors 30 through 45 were able to go back inside, but those living on floors 3 through 29 were not let back inside and NFD said it could be a couple of days before they can return.

NFD added that floors 3 through 29 will remain without power and that the building remains on a fire watch.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kenosha, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire; No injuries reported

An apartment fire in Pleasant Prairie was successfully extinguished by the building’s sprinkler Tuesday evening, resulting in no injuries according to the Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue Department.

According to a department social media release, at about 6:21 p.m., the department received a report of a fire alarm at an apartment complex in the 8200 block of 88th Ave. On arrival, crews found nothing showing.

Crews entered the building and determined there was water flow on the first floor. Upon reaching the apartment the crews opened the door and found a room full of smoke.

Upon entering the apartment it was determined the sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire. Crews remained on the scene for approximately an hour performing ventilation. Once the smoke was removed from the building occupants were allowed to return. No injuries were reported.

Aid was received from the Kenosha Fire Department, Bristol Fire Department, Somers Fire Department, Paris Fire Department, Salem Lakes Fire & Rescue, Winthrop Harbor Fire, Beach Park Fire, Newport Fire and Zion Fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Winnipeg, MB, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire in apartment building; No injuries reported

Residents from two Winnipeg apartment blocks evacuated their homes after fires started in each of the buildings.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service arrived at 207 Edmonton St. on Sunday after a kitchen fire in one of the building’s 40 suites activated the fire alarm, district chief Terry Kelly told CBC at the scene.

Crews arrived and found light smoke and water flowing from the building. Sprinklers put out most of the fire, but crews extinguished the rest of the flames, Kelly said.

Fire damage is limited to the one suite, but units below have extensive water damage, he added.

“The sprinkler activation puts a lot of water out very fast ,and that’s what we’re dealing with is cleaning up the water on the floors below,” he said.

Residents of the building — which houses single newcomer women and their children, according to its website — evacuated before crews arrived just after 1 p.m., a news release from the city says.

Crews had the fire under control within 45 minutes, and no injuries were reported.

The city’s emergency social services responded to help residents find temporary living accommodations.

The cause of the fire appears to be an accident, the city says.

Apartment Building, Residential

Boise, ID – Sprinkler system extinguished apartment fire caused by cigarette

A man went to the hospital with minor injuries and 12 people were displaced after an apartment fire Monday afternoon, the Boise Fire Department said.

The fire began in a plastic trash can, after someone threw away a cigarette, and spread to a recliner, the department said in a Facebook post. It occurred at Capitol Plaza, a public housing building for seniors at 700 W. Cunningham Place in the North End.

Firefighters responded at 2:45 p.m. after a woman in an apartment near the unit where the fire began smelled smoke and called 911, according to the department. When crews arrived, they found the recliner on fire and a man on the floor in a fifth floor apartment. An ambulance took the man to the hospital with minor injuries, the department said, but a sprinkler extinguished the fire and stopped its spread.

“Working fire sprinklers saved at least one life and prevented significant structural damage,” the Facebook post said.

Boise Fire spokesperson Lynsey Amundson told the Idaho Statesman in an email that residents were displaced by water damage to the fourth and third floor apartments.

Apartment Building, Residential

The Woodlands, TX – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at apartment complex

Around 9 AM, Tuesday morning, residents at the Timbermill Apartments on Sawdust Road were alerted to a fire in their three story building when fire sprinklers activated over two separate fires in a 3rd floor apartment. The sprinkler activations triggered a water flow alarm and fire crews from The Woodlands and South Montgomery County Fire Departments soon arrived to find residents evacuating and smoke coming from the building.

Firefighters made their way up to the smoke filled apartment and began searching for the source of the fire and any remaining occupants. They quickly discovered that two of the building’s fire sprinklers had activated, one over a fire in the living room and one over a fire in a walk-in closet. Firefighters also observed evidence that the fire was intentionally set and immediately secured the area as the first of several fire investigators arrived on scene.

After insuring that the fire was out, firefighters shut down the fire sprinkler system and turned their attention to salvaging resident’s belongings on the floors below the fire. MCFMO Investigators spent several hours examining the scene and interviewing witnesses before placing the resident of the apartment, 28 yr old Jasmine Johnson, under arrest for setting the fires.

The investigation continues into the circumstances and motive behind the fire, but there is no further danger to the public at this time. MCFMO Investigators are currently booking Ms. Johnson into the Montgomery County Jail on 1st degree felony arson charges, where she will be held on a $250,000 bond.

MCFMO Inspection personnel worked with apartment management to insure that the building’s fire sprinkler system was restored to service and that the remaining residents would be protected once they are able to return to their apartments.

Montgomery County first enacted a County Fire Code in 2008 when Commissioner’s Court issued an order adopting the International Fire Code, a consensus safety standard that requires all new and remodeled apartment buildings be equipped with fire sprinkler and alarm systems.

Without these modern safety systems, a fire like this could easily have led to injuries and even deaths, as well as significant property damage. National fire sprinkler statistics reveal that approximately 90% of fires in sprinklered buildings are controlled by the first sprinkler head that activates.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The 911 dispatch call came in at 8:41 a.m. to the complex, located at 10670 14th AVE SW (map below).

Multiple crews were able to extinguish the flames and isolate the hallway sprinkler system.

At this time, there are no reports of injuries, but some residents will be temporarily displaced due to smoke, fire, and water damage. Red Cross was requested, and the King County Regional Housing Authority was on scene to coordinate assistance efforts for tenants.

Apartment Building, Residential

Chapmanville, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire on apartment building eighth floor; No injuries reported

Nearly 100 residents of the Chapmanville Towers were displaced Monday after a fire broke out on the building’s top floor.

According to the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the fire began in an apartment on the building’s eighth floor. No injuries were reported, but water damage was caused to several apartments by the complex’s automatic sprinkler system going off, which caused water to seep throughout the building.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire and evacuated the building. Initial social media posts also rumored of a roof collapse; however, there were no official reports that indicated such damage.

Most of the 88 residents who were evacuated were transported to Chapmanville Regional High School, but some residents did choose to go to the Tracy Vickers Community Center instead, according to a press release from the Logan County Office of Emergency Management.

The Red Cross responded to the shelter location at the high school to assist the displaced residents. FEMA is also assisting with the displaced, according to the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department.

Property restoration crews were called to the scene as well. There is no word yet on when residents may safely return to the building.

Multiple agencies responded to assist including the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the City of Logan Fire Department, Henlawson Fire Department, Danville Fire Department, the Logan Emergency Ambulance Service Authority (LEASA), the Logan County Office of Emergency Management and the Boone County Office of Emergency Management.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Prescott, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Ninety people are without a home after a fire broke out at a Prescott senior living community on Friday evening.

Around 6 p.m., crews were called about fire and smoke that was reported from a third-story apartment at the Prescott Lakes Senior Living Apartments near Prescott Lakes Parkway and Highway 89. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm due to the building’s size and number of residents inside.

The Prescott Police Department was the first on the scene and saved the resident in the apartment and those in nearby units. Fire crews soon arrived and quickly accessed the apartment on fire. With help from the fire sprinkler system, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the complex.

Some residents evacuated; however, others could not leave their apartments and were told to shelter in place by the fire personnel after it was determined they were not in danger. A Prescott police officer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One resident fainted after being evacuated and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. No other injuries were reported.

Prescott Fire says there was extensive water damage from the sprinklers and fire personnel on all three floors, including an electrical room that powers half of the complex. Therefore, fire officials, the City of Prescott Building Department and utility companies determined it was unsafe for residents to return to their apartments, leaving 90 people and several pets displaced.

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross has arranged a temporary shelter at the Humboldt Unified School District Offices in Prescott Valley. Around 11 residents have chosen to stay at the shelter, while many others are staying with family, friends, and at hotels. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Prescott Fire says the outcome would’ve been different if the sprinkler system were not in place. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, buildings with fire sprinkler systems successfully confine fire spread to the room of origin 95% of the time, compared to 71% of properties without.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Wauconda, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at senior apartment building

A sprinkler system contained a blaze at a senior apartment building in Wauconda until firefighters arrived Thursday afternoon.

The Wauconda Fire District responded to Liberty Arms, 260 Larkdale Row Drive, at 3:09 p.m. and found a fire in a second-floor unit was being kept in check by a sprinkler head, according to a news release.

Crews extinguished the fire, which officials said was related to unattended cooking.

Five people were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the news release said.

Damage was estimated at $300,000. The Red Cross was helping displaced residents.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire; No injuries reported

Puget Sound firefighters put out a fire on Saturday that destroyed the entire front entrance of an apartment.

The fire happened in SeaTac in the 3700 block of 209th Place, according to Puget Sound Fire.

Neighbors used fire extinguishers to put out the fire. The sprinkler system also went off which helped diminish the flames.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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