Category Archives: Residential

Residential, Single Family Home

Streamwood, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire in basement of home

A fire that started in the basement of an unoccupied Streamwood home Saturday didn’t cause serious damage thanks to the sprinkler system, officials said.

Streamwood fire crews responded to the home on Moraine Court around 5 p.m. but found only light smoke coming from a basement window, according to a news release.

Officials said the fire was extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system so the damage to the home was minimal. Upon inspection, officials determined the fire had been started by a lithium battery pack that malfunctioned while being charged, the release said.

The village of Streamwood has required fire sprinklers installed in all new homes since 2002.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment complex; No injuries reported

The building’s sprinkler system did its job and the fire department handled the rest after a fire sparked in an apartment in central Kelowna this morning.

The Kelowna Fire Department was called to the scene in the 1700 block of Ethel Street around 10:30 am and found the fire in a unit on the first floor of the four-storey building.

According to Platoon Captain Scott Clarke, the sprinkler system had activated and suppressed the fire to the stove top of the unit.

“Firefighters entered the unit and completed extinguishment,” he said.

The fire has been deemed accidental in nature.

While there was no one home in the unit affected by the minor blaze, the rest of the building was evacuated and Clarke said no injuries were reported.

There was some fire and water damage to the single unit and some general water damage to the first floor.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Oshkosh, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in high-rise apartment building; No injuries reported

Fourteen people were displaced last week by a fire at a high-rise apartment building in Oshkosh.

Firefighters say it wasn’t a big fire, but 100 residents had to be evacuated from the Court Tower in the downtown area.

The building’s sprinkler system put out a small fire on the ninth floor.

No injuries were reported but the sprinklers caused extensive water damage to the eighth and ninth floors.

Most of the people who lived in the 10 damaged apartments stayed at a shelter last Thursday night.

Residential, Single Family Home

Alpharetta, GA – Sprinkler system extinguishes house fire; No injuries reported

A Monday morning house fire in Alpharetta was caused by a power strip that was placed on top of a blanket, firefighters say.

Fortunately, the home was equipped with a sprinkler system and the fire was extinguished before fire crews arrived.

According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety at about 11:45 a.m. Monday, Alpharetta firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire on Calypso Drive. As crews arrived on scene and made contact with the homeowner, they found that one of the residents had placed a power strip on top of a blanket on the couch, located on the second level of the townhome.

The resident had then gone downstairs to check on the food in the oven and, in the time that they were gone, the blanket and then the couch caught on fire.

The heat from the flames activated the fire sprinklers directly above the couch and extinguished the fire before fire crews arrived on scene.

Firefighters confirmed that the fire was out and made sure that the fire had not extended to other areas.

No injuries were reported from the incident. Smoke was evacuated from the structure and firefighters performed salvage and overhaul to reduce water damage from the fire sprinkler activation.

According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, in homes equipped with fire sprinkler systems, 97% of house fires never leave the room of origin.

Residential, Single Family Home

Fallston, MD – Residential sprinkler system activated for fire in home; No injuries reported

Deputy State Fire Marshals are crediting a smoke alarm and a home fire sprinkler system for saving an infant’s life and reducing significant property damage at a Fallston home over the weekend.

Fallston Volunteer Fire Company and mutual-aid departments were dispatched at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday for a reported dwelling in the 2000-block of Arden Drive after the owner, who was outside at the time, heard a smoke alarm sounding. Upon arrival, the fire department discovered a fire in the kitchen with one activated fire sprinkler.

Fire investigators concluded the fire started in the kitchen, and the cause was accidental due to an unattended candle. The investigation determined that the activation of only one automatic fire sprinkler prevented the fire from spreading from the kitchen into the remainder of the home. Damage was limited to an estimated $20,000, and no injuries were reported.

State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci stated, “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries and protect property and valuables. The best home fire safety practice is combining a smoke alarm, an escape plan, and a residential fire sprinkler. Today we saw the effects of this winning combination;”.

Maryland requires a residential fire sprinkler in all new one- or two-family homes across the state. Maryland law also prohibits local governments from weakening the sprinkler requirement in their jurisdiction’s building codes.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lethbridge, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at four story apartment complex; No injuries reported

Around $75,000 worth of damage was done thanks to a fire in a four-storey apartment complex in the city on Friday night.

Lethbridge Fire and EMS officials say they got to the scene on Highlands Boulevard West approximately 8:30, and were met with a majority of residents already evacuated, and smoke showing from the third story on the north east side of the complex.

The building’s sprinkler system had extinguished the fire, and crews were able to quickly search all other floors and determine there was no risk to the rest of the building.

No one was injured as a result of the fire, and all but two of the apartments were able to safely house residents again, with the buildings fire suppression system intact and smoke alarm system fully operational.

The investigation into the cause of the fire remains ongoing.

Residential, Residential High Rise

San Diego, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high rise apartment complex; No injuries reported

No injuries were reported in a high-rise blaze Friday after a cigarette ignited a mattress in East Village.

Firefighters found smoke from a fourth-floor apartment and a sprinkler system activated at a high-rise complex at 901 F St. around 12:30 a.m., according to San Diego Fire & Rescue.

Crews of 45 personnel knocked down the flames by 1 a.m. and closed their incident by 1:49 a.m.

SDFD did not report any displacements due to the fire.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at high rise apartment building; No injuries reported

The Rockford Fire Department says no one was hurt after a fire in a high-rise apartment building in downtown Rockford Friday.

RFD says firefighters were first called to the Olesen Plaza apartments in the 500 block of N. Church St. at around 4:40 p.m. Friday for the smell of smoke and alarms going off on the third floor of the building.

As first responders were on their way to the scene, people on the third floor noticed water coming from under the door of the apartment where the fire had happened.

As crews got to the scene, they found moderate smoke coming from the window of the third-story apartment. As they got inside, firefighters found a small dire that had been put out by the building’s sprinkler system.

The person living in that apartment was not present at the time of the fire. No residents, pets, or firefighters were hurt during the fire and following evacuation.

Fire crews worked with members of the Rockford Housing Authority, which owns Olesen Plaza, to clear out the smoke and to drain the water after the sprinkler system was shut down.

RFD officials say the fire was caused accidentally by “careless smoking.” Investigators estimate the damage caused by the fire at $65,000.

Olesen Plaza is 14 stories tall and houses around 140 people, according to the Rockford Fire Department.

Apartment Building, Residential

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

An interior sprinkler system helped to douse a Monday morning fire at an apartment complex, according to Roanoke County emergency services.

Firefighters were summoned to the Ridgeview Apartments on Hawthorne Road around 10 a.m. by E-911 reports of smoke and water being emitted from a second-story apartment. There they found unattended cooking materials in a unit whose resident was not present.

The apartment’s sprinkler system had already contained the fire. The incident caused water damage to four units in the multistory residential complex and smoke damage to the apartment where the fire originated.

The Roanoke County fire marshal estimated damages at $25,000. No injuries were reported.