Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for balcony fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

A Saturday evening balcony fire was quickly prevented from spreading after a sprinkler activated and doused the blaze.

Just after 5 pm, the Kelowna Fire Department received a call about a fire on the balcony of an apartment building in the 1200 block of Richter Street.

Upon arrival, the crews could see an activated sprinkler on the fourth-floor balcony, with no smoke or flames visible.

Crews went to investigate and found there had been a small fire on the balcony, which was contained by a sprinkler.

There was minor damage to the contents and the exterior of the apartment. No injuries were reported and all residents were able to return to their suites.

KFD responded with three engine companies, one ladder truck, a rescue truck and a command vehicle.

Apartment Building, Residential

Roanoke, VA – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

An unattended fire in Roanoke County on Thursday has forced several apartments to be vacated.

At 1:54 p.m. Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded to the Ridgeview Apartments on Hawthorne Road in the North County area of Roanoke County, for a reported commercial structure fire.

Responding units arrived to find nothing showing from the outside of the multi-story apartment building. Once inside, crews found evidence of a fire on the fifth floor that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

Crews said fire damage was minimal but water from the sprinkler head did cause about $20,000 in damage and displaced four units.

Those displaced are either staying with family and friends, are being helped by the management at Ridgeview Apartments, or are being assisted by their renter’s insurance, according to Roanoke County Fire and Rescue.

There were no injuries and working smoke alarms and sprinkler systems both played a role in keeping residents safe.

The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office reports that the cause of the fire was unattended melting wax on a stovetop.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system prevents porch fire from spreading; No injuries reported

A water sprinkler prevented a porch fire from spreading at an east side apartment complex Tuesday, Madison Fire Department reports.

According to MFD, firefighters responded around 5:45 a.m. to the 2500 block of Winnebago Street.

When firefighters arrived on scene, authorities said they saw smoke showing from a first-floor porch and people were evacuating the building.

Once the fire was out, firefighters checked to see if the fire had spread into the apartment, but it did not.

The fire damaged flowerpots, a rug and patio furniture. No one was injured.

Authorities said the exact cause of the fire is unknown. But law enforcement said based on evidence found at the scene, the fire may have been caused by improperly discarded smoking materials or by a citronella candle.

Apartment Building, Residential

Jacksonville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire inside 4-story apartment building; No injuries reported

St. Johns County Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Grand Cypress apartments Sunday night.

Fire rescue said the fire happened inside a bathroom at a 4-story apartment in the 300 block of Grand Cypress Drive.

The fire was already partially extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system once fire rescue arrived on the scene. Firefighters extinguished what was left of the fire.

No victims were located and no injuries have been reported, fire rescue said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at apartment building

San Diego Police are looking for a man suspected of starting a fire inside a downtown apartment building early Tuesday morning.

At around 2 a.m., SDPD officers and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department crews were dispatched to the apartment on 1453 Fourth Ave. after a woman reported a man setting things on fire in the building.

The fire inside set off alarms, which forced tenants to evacuate from the building. ABC 10News learned one man was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

As the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire, responding firefighters helped prevent most of the water damage from the sprinklers.

Officers forced their way into the apartment where the fire started, but the suspected arsonist was not inside.

Police questioned the woman who called 911 to report the incident; her relationship to the suspected arsonist was unclear.

A description of the man was not immediately available.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Springfield, IL – Sprinkler system activated for high-rise kitchen fire

The Springfield Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1100 block of 8th St, The Hildebrandt High Rise, on Monday at 11:28 p.m.

Officials say the fire was contained to a unit on the 7th floor.

The building was partially evacuated during the fire. The fire sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in check while firefighters stretched hose lines to the fire room.

There was one person with a report of smoke inhalation that was treated on scene and required no further assessment. Springfield Housing Authority and Red Cross are working with the displaced resident.

We’re told the cause of the fire appears to have been from food left on the stove leading to this kitchen fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lexington, KY – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Residents in an apartment have been displaced after a fire Sunday afternoon.

The Lexington Fire Dept. was called out to the 500 block of Angliana Ave. for a fire just after 6 p.m.

Officials say they found the fire in a dryer in a first-floor apartment.

It was contained to the laundry room and put out with a watering can and apartment sprinkler system.

No one was injured, but officials say the apartment occupants will be displaced.

Fire investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Portland, OR – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

One person was displaced due to a two-alarm fire at an apartment complex in downtown Portland Monday night.

At about 8 p.m., Portland Fire & Rescue were called out to a fire near the intersection of Southwest 10th and Southwest Salmon. First crews on scene saw fire showing from a third story window and a second alarm was called to bring in additional resources.

While evacuating residents, a firefighter came upon a person struggling to breathe in a stairwell. PF&R says the firefighter gave their mask to the struggling resident and helped them outside. The resident was evaluated for possible smoke inhalation but denied medical need in the end.

PF&R says the apartment complex’s fire sprinkler system helped keep the fire from spreading to other units in the building. The fire was extinguished about 20 minutes after the 911 call was made.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other - Residential, Residential

Evansville, IN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at shelter

A Thursday night fire at Albion Fellows Bacon Center damaged the shelter and left one employee with smoke inhalation, the organization said.

According to a Friday afternoon news release, “residents have been safely relocated and alternate plans for providing services have been enacted.” Albion has long housed people who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse.

Ashley McReynolds, Albion’s director of advancement, said the fire started around 10:30 p.m. The damage primarily occurred in the kitchen, but there’s also water damage to “several communal living spaces” after the Evansville Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

“We are unsure how long it will take for the shelter to reopen as insurance adjusters, fire department, etc., are still evaluating,” she told the Courier & Press. “But all other services, including our crisis lines and response service, are still operating normally.”

McReynolds provided security camera images that show a thick coil of fire rising from what appears to be a stove. The photo doesn’t show anyone in the room at the time.

The damage was limited thanks to a sprinkler system the organization recently installed after receiving grant funding from the West Side Nut Club, the City of Evansville Endowment fund, and the Brave Heart Foundation, Albion said in a subsequent news release.

The injured employee, who Albion didn’t name, also played a huge role in attempting to put out the fire, as well as evacuating residents and their pets to safety.

The employee is recovering from their injuries and is “being hailed as acting calmly and heroically,” the release states.

Albion will work with the YWCA, Holly’s House and others to continue to provide shelter to women and men in need while restoration efforts are underway. All other services are still up and running.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers