Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Single sprinkler extinguishes fire at three-story apartment building (Rochester, NH)

A single sprinkler put out a fire on Punch Brook Way Thursday afternoon, avoiding a potential three-story building fire. Firefighters were called to the scene of an apartment building just before 4 p.m. for the report of a kitchen fire after a resident cooking on the third floor unintentionally started the fire. According to officials, the fire was out before they arrived due to the activation of a single sprinkler head. “The sprinkler system did its job, not only saving the building, but also the residents,” said Deputy Fire Chief Peter Cutrer.

Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinkler system puts out cooking fire in apartment (Glendale Heights, IL)

A sprinkler system extinguished a cooking fire Thursday afternoon in Glendale Heights and likely helped save two dogs, authorities said. Firefighters were called to a three-story apartment building at 3:05 p.m. and found that the sprinkler system effectively put out the fire, according to Batallion Chief Richard Kurka of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District. The homeowner was not there at the time of the fire. Kurka said her two dogs likely would have suffered from smoke inhalation had there not been sprinklers in the apartment.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Christmas Eve fire at assisted living center snuffed out by sprinklers (Bloomington, IL)

A fire sprinkler system is being credited with extinguishing a Christmas Eve fire even before firefighters arrived.  Bloomington Fire Department Public Information Officer Brad McCollum said that at 7:43 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters responded to the third floor of The Downtowner, a 36-unit, eight-story, assisted-living apartment building and found the apartment’s resident in a hallway that was filled with light smoke. “Upon entering the apartment, they found an overstuffed chair and end table that had sustained damage from a fire that had been completely extinguished by the sprinkler system,” .McCollum said the outcome could have been tragic for the resident if not for the effectiveness of the sprinkler system.

Apartment Building, Residential

Clothes dryer fire in apartment controlled with help from sprinkler system (Cookeville, TN)

The sprinkler system in an apartment on Buffalo Valley Road stopped a fire that started in a dryer there Saturday from spreading to other areas of the home, fire officials say.  Crews were called to at around 11:30 Saturday after residents in an apartment there discovered that a fire had started in their dryer, Capt. Matt White said.  The apartment was equipped with a residential sprinkler system.“The sprinkler system did exactly what it was supposed to do,” White said. “When the flames started coming up and got the sprinkler head hot enough, it discharged and the water put most of it out except just a little bit inside the dryer.”

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Christmas tree fire extinguished by sprinkler system (North Vancouver, BC)

Firefighters responded to a call around 6:20 p.m. Thursday after a Christmas tree caught on fire in a townhome. “Luckily the townhouse unit has a sprinkler system in the building,” said Dan Pistilli, fire chief at the City of North Vancouver fire department. The tree ignited when the homeowner lit a sparkler for their young child and got too close to the tree.  Pistilli said the situation could have been much worse. “If the unit did not have a sprinkler system it would have been a different result,” he said.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Sprinklers save lives and property in assisted living facility fire (Rochester, NY)

Residents of the Madonna Meadows Assisted Living Facility were able to remain “protected in place” after a small fire began and was extinguished at about 1 a.m. on Tuesday, December 16. Residents did not have to be evacuated into the cold outdoors thanks to the facility’s fire sprinkler system, which eliminated the fire and limited smoke exposure. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Fire extinguished by sprinklers at high rise (Fargo, ND)

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An unattended lit candle was the culprit for the fire which began in a 15th floor apartment on Tuesday, December 16. According to reports, the resident discovered the fire when she re-entered her bedroom; the fire had ignited her pillow and bedspread. The resident attempted to put out the flames on her own with no success. The room’s fire sprinkler system activated from the heat of the fire and put out the blaze before fire crews arrived. No injuries occurred in the entire situation.

** Blog Editor’s Note – Please let us know what you think of the coverage by the INFORUM and Archie Ingersoll, who focused on water damage rather than the lives and property saved by the automatic fire sprinkler system**

Apartment Building, Residential

Fire squelched by sprinkler system at apartment complex (Holyoke, MA)

A 103-unit apartment building had a fire break out on December 10 in one of it’s three-bedroom apartments. The sprinkler system in the hallway activated, containing the fire until fire crews arrived and put out the rest of the flames. Firefighters are crediting the sprinkler system with saving lives and property. 

“Sprinklers help keep the fires in check which gives the residents time to get out of the building, working in connection with a fire alarm that works well definitely saves lives,” Holyoke Fire Captain Anthony Cerruti said. “A small fire can go to a large fire in less than three minutes, and if you don’t have a working smoke detector or more importantly a sprinkler system, you’re looking at a total loss.”

All residents were able to evacuate safely and without injury. 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business, Residential

Fire sprinklers douse electrical fire at casino (Charles Town, WV)

A fire broke out in the electrical room of Hollywood Casino in Charles Town on Wednesday morning. Fire crews responded to the fire which was contained to the electrical room by the casino’s fire sprinkler and put out the remaining flames. “The fortunate thing was that, of course, that time of the morning it wasn’t many patrons in the building. With the quick action of Charles Town security and maintenance, by utilizing fire extinguishers to knock the bulk of the fire down, and the fire sprinklers popping on, it could have been a much, much, worse incident than it was,” said Independent Fire Company Chief Donnie Lanham.No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.