Category Archives: Residential

Residential, Residential High Rise

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at eight-story building

A water sprinkler doused a fire Friday afternoon at an eight-story building in downtown Fresno.

The Fresno Fire Department responded to the fire at 4:45 p.m. at Fulton and Amador streets with reports of a fire that started on the balcony, spokesman Jonathan Lopez said.

The sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire when crews arrived.

No one was displaced.

Lopez credited the Silvercrest Retirement Residence management for helping fire crews get to where the fire started and stressed the importance of having a working sprinkling system.

”This incident really highlights the importance of not having working smoke detectors, but especially in buildings like this working fire suppression,” he said. ”Sprinklers and self-closing doors really minimize the potential disaster that could happen in a high-rise building without these fire protection features.”

Five engines and two ladder trucks responded to the commercial fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire caused by unattended cooking

Firefighters responded to an apartment on Tree Lane to investigate a fire alarm in the building. There were also multiple reports of smoke coming from an apartment unit inside.

Ladder Co. 2 checked the building’s alarm panel, which indicated a problem on the fourth floor. The crew proceeded to the fourth floor and identified that an automatic fire sprinkler had caught and extinguished a fire caused by unattended cooking.

Firefighters checked the unit for occupants and did find someone sleeping in another room with the door closed. That occupant was uninjured and able to evacuate the unit while firefighters turned off the stove and shut down the fire sprinkler system.

The incident caused fire damage to the stovetop and microwave, as well as some charring of drywall. Two other residential units were also affected. The American Red Cross is assisting those who were displaced.

Residential, Single Family Home

Maitland, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire in kitchen; No injuries reported

There were no injuries reported after a fire broke out in a kitchen in a Maitland neighborhood over the weekend.

On Saturday, March 18, units from the Maitland Fire Rescue responded to Lake Shadow Circle in the Visconti neighborhood after reports of a fire.

According to officials, the fire broke out in the kitchen and quickly triggered the interior sprinkler system.

The sprinkler system contained the fire to the interior kitchen area.

No injuries were reported by authorities.

Other - Residential, Residential

Lower Merion, PA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-occupancy building; No injuries reported

Fire crews in Lower Merion quickly put down a porch fire early Thursday morning at a home on the 100 block of West Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore.

The Merion Fire Company of Ardmore was called to the property at 3:30 a.m. on the report of a porch on fire at a multi-occupancy building. The sprinkler system activated and held the fire in place, so firefighters could extinguish and overhaul the fire.

All Lower Merion fire companies responded as part of the working fire procedure and staged to be ready if needed. The fire was declared under control in 15 minutes by the incident commander. There were no injuries reported.

Apartment Building, Historic Building, Other Business, Residential

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire in historic apartment building; No injuries reported

Eight residents need temporary housing after a fire broke out in the historic Faust Landmark apartment building.

Firefighters received an alarm call from the building at 630 E. State St. around 9:20 p.m. Monday. Investigators in the fire department say the flames started in a 10th floor bedroom. The sprinkler system contained the flames until crews arrived to extinguish the rest.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. They estimate the damage at $5,000. No one was injured in this incident, and the Red Cross is helping the residents find a place to stay.

Residential, Sorority / Fraternity

Charlottesville, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at fraternity

Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers on UVA Grounds had a fire in their house on Rugby Road Thursday night.

It happened around 10:00 p.m. Albemarle County Fire Rescue, the Charlottesville Fire Department and UVA Police arrived on scene.

According to ACFR, who is leading the investigation along with university police, the fire started in the basement. People inside used extinguishers to try to put out the fire before being forced to leave the room because of smoke. The smoke triggered the sprinkler system, something ACFR says was very important and could have saved lives. 

“Activating that sprinkler system enabled them the opportunity to get out of the house safely. So everyone was able to evacuate safely. It also reduced the fire’s destruction which gave time for the fire rescue units to get on scene,” said Abbey Stumpf, ACFR PIO.

ACFR says thanks to the sprinkler systems limiting the damage, displaced residents of the building will be able to move back in more quickly.

The university says a small number of people were treated for smoke inhalation, but there was no other injuries.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Petaluma, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at tiny home community; No injuries reported

One resident was displaced by a fire Friday at Petaluma People’s Village, a community of 25 tiny homes for the unsheltered.

Firefighters were dispatched at 4:09 p.m. Friday to a report of a structure fire at the tiny home community located behind the Mary Isaak Center, 900 Hopper St., according to the Petaluma Fire Department.

Firefighters found smoke coming from one of the units, along with the fire bell sounding and the fire sprinkler system activated in one unit, Petaluma Fire Marshal Jessica Power said in a news release.

A smoldering fire was found inside the unit but was mostly extinguished due to the sprinkler system activation, Power said.

Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire and searched for victims.

A single resident escaped the fire in the unit without injury.

There were no injuries to firefighters.

The Petaluma Building Department and PG&E responded to evaluate the next steps for making the unit inhabitable again.

“During the planning and construction of People’s Village many important safety features, including an automatic fire sprinkler system and alarms were included,” Power said. “As intended and designed, in this incident the sprinkler system and corresponding alarm bell notified the residents and gave them time to evacuate safely, kept damage to that unit at a minimum, and prevented fire damage to other units, saving vital housing for some of those most vulnerable.”

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday.

Apartment Building, Residential

Yuma, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes kitchen fire at apartment complex

The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to an apartment fire, only to find that a fire sprinkler head had extinguished the fire.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at approximately 6:17pm at Cielo Verde Apartments, near the Walmart on S. Avenue 8E.

After responding to a fire alarm, YFD confirmed that the fire sprinkler head had activated and put out the fire near the stove.

YFD also said that there were two people inside the apartment and both were able to safely evacuate the apartment. Additionally, they said that the cause of the fire started when a pan was left on the stove.

Fortunately, the fire damage was minimal due to the fire sprinkler head, according to YFD.

Other - Residential, Residential

Boise, ID – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in multi-family home; No injuries reported

Crisis averted when a multi-family home was ultimately saved by its sprinkler system after catching fire on Wednesday.

Caldwell Fire Department said in a release that on the morning of Feb. 8, Canyon County Dispatch received several reports of a fire alarm having been activated inside of a home. 

Caldwell Fire crews were dispatched to the two-story multi-family fourplex. Upon arrival, no smoke nor flames could be detected, however, the audible water flow alarm was activated.

No one was home at the time of the incident.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that a fire had indeed broken out in one of the bedrooms. Crews concluded that the fire suppression system had activated, effectively extinguishing the fire that erupted in the back bedroom of one of the first-floor apartments. 

The statement iterated that if not for the sprinkler system, damages could have been exponential. They said the fire would have grown much larger, moving into the adjacent units and buildings, potentially displacing several families.

Let this serve as a reminder to keep fire and smoke alarms updated; and next time you reach for those batteries to replace your dying remote control…don’t.

“This is a good reminder that fire suppression systems work,” said Deputy Chief Alan Perry, Fire Marshal, Caldwell Fire Department. 

“The need for fire suppression systems in residential settings is paramount as high-density living situations become more and more common.”

Residential, Single Family Home

Charles County, MD – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire in home

A Charles County man was arrested Saturday after deputies say he set a fire inside his parents’ Waldorf home, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Around 10:30 p.m., Saturday deputy state fire marshals responded to the 9200 block of Misting Court after the owner believed his son had set a fire.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office told the arriving investigators that the homeowner had been having issues with his son, 21-year-old Jordan Christopher Robinson, over the past few days and that he asked Robinson to leave the house earlier in the day.

At around 8 p.m., the homeowner received an alert on his phone for his home security cameras, where he saw Robinson enter the home, authorities said.

“He returned home and discovered Robinson had left the house and the remains of a fire inside his bedroom that the fire sprinklers had extinguished,” deputies said in a news release. Investigators credit the sprinkler system containing the fire and minimizing damage to around $6,000.

Officials said Robinson was arrested Sunday morning and was taken to a local hospital for injuries he had sustained earlier in an altercation with a family member.

After being released from the hospital, deputies said Robinson was transported to Charles County Detention Center, where he was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, home invasion, and malicious destruction of property over $1,000.