Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Charleston, SC – Grease fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

The Charleston Fire Department (CFD) is crediting a sprinkler system with preventing a grease fire from spreading throughout a West Ashley apartment complex.

According to CFD, reports of a fire at 35 Folly Luxury Apartments came in just before 1:00 a.m. Monday.

Crews from CFD as well as St. Andrews and James Island Fire departments responded, along with Charleston County EMS and Charleston police.

Upon arrival, firefighters found remnants of a grease fire in a fourth-floor apartment.

The fire had been put out by a sprinkler and fire damage was contained to the kitchen of that apartment. One additional unit sustained water damage.

Investigators determined that the occupant of the apartment were cooking when a pot of grease caught fire. An occupant attempted to put out the fire using a bucket of water, which did not work.

CFD said that grease fires should never be extinguished with water, flour, or other similar items. Instead, they should be snuffed out by covering them with a pot lid.

Apartment Building, Residential

Salt Lake City, UT – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire

Fire crews responded to a minor apartment fire Sunday afternoon.

According to Salt Lake City Fire Captain Tony Stowe, a single apartment unit caught fire at 761 S 300 East around 12:15 p.m.

Crews arrived and took down the fire quickly.

The sprinkler system activated and helped to extinguish the fire.

The fire didn’t spread into other units but had damages related to evacuating the building.

Stowe said that one woman and child had smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.

The cause and cost of damages are being investigated.

The Red Cross of Utah helped residents who were displaced.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Stove fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire that broke out in a Mayo Drive apartment while no one was home was caught quickly and extinguished by an automatic fire sprinkler.

Engine Co. 7 responded to the building to investigate the fire alarm that was sounding. Residents told firefighters there may have been a fire in one of the units. Crews went inside and found water leaking out from under one of the apartment doors. Upon entry to the unit, Engine Co. 7 found a box of napkins on the stovetop that was charred due to the electrical burner being turned on. Firefighters removed the napkins and turned off the burner. The apartment was ventilated to clear the air.

Firefighters located the occupant, who stated she remembers placing the box of napkins on the stove before leaving home. The burner may have been accidentally bumped prior to her leaving the apartment.

Apartment Building, Residential

Norfolk, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fourth floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

A fire in a waterfront apartment building in Norfolk has – at least temporarily – displaced all of its residents. 

The fire alarm in the building went off at about 4:50 p.m. in “The Roebuck” in the 500 block of Front Street, across the street from the offices of PETA.

We’re still waiting for more official information from Norfolk Fire and Rescue, but the department’s Public Information Officer told us the fire was contained to one apartment and the sprinkler system was activated and caused water damage. 

A producer who works here at 13News Now lives in the building and tells us that the fire appears to have started in an apartment on the fourth floor.

According to our producer, everyone self-evacuated from the building. She also said she was told there were no injuries.

There’s been no word from the building’s management company about the extent of damage and when repairs might take place. We also don’t know exactly how many people were displaced.

This is the second time in two days in which a large number of residents in an apartment building have been displaced by a relatively minor fire. On Saturday, a fire broke out in the kitchen in an apartment the Heron’s Landing complex in Chesapeake displacing several residents. In this instance, the sprinkler system was also activated and caused damage to at least 30 apartments.

This is a developing story. We’ll update it once we get more information.

Other - Residential, Residential

Westfield, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at residential building; No injuries reported

Firefighters responded to 27 Washington St. Thursday morning after a fire was reported on the third floor of the residential building.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which was called in at 11:48 a.m., but all residents of the building have safely been evacuated until the cleanup can be complete and the fire suppression system in the building can be restored.

Deputy Chief Eric Bishop said the fire began near a refrigerator on the third floor, but the cause is still under investigation.

“Engine crews got to the third floor and found heavy smoke, and other crews evacuated people who had not yet left the building,” said Bishop.

There was some fire and smoke damage on the third floor. Bishop said minimal water was needed to put the fire out because it was mostly contained by the sprinkler system, which firefighters supported by adding water and pressure.

Apartment Building, Residential

Lafayette, IN – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire; No injuries reported

Lafayette Fire responded to a call just after 9 p.m. Sunday regarding an apartment fire.

Lafayette Fire confirmed to News 18 at the scene that a smoke alarm went off at a ground floor apartment at 1740 Salem Street in Lafayette.

The fire was contained to the front room of the apartment.

It was quickly put out.

Nobody was injured.

First responders say the apartment will likely be uninhabitable for the time being due to smoke damage and water damage from the sprinkler system.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Apartment Building, Residential

Airdrie, AB, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in four-story apartment building; No injuries reported

A four-story apartment building caught fire on June 1 at 5 p.m. in Canals Crossing, located in southwest Airdrie. No injuries have been reported at this time.

Although no details have been released yet about what caused the fire, a press release from the City of Airdrie stated the fire originated in one suite and resulted in an emergency evacuation of the building. 

The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire before Airdrie Fire Department crews arrived on the scene. However, units in the building have been severely damaged by the water from the sprinkler system. 

The Crossfield Fire Department provided standby resources to the nine Airdrie Fire Department firefighters who were deployed to the call. 

The Fire Prevention Bureau will be conducting an investigation to discover the cause of the fire, according to the City’s press release. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Port Royal, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes multi-family apartment dwelling; No injuries reported

The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department credits a sprinkler for extinguishing an apartment fire Monday evening.

Fire crews responded to a kitchen fire at Laurel Hill Apartments in Port Royal just before 7 p.m. on Monday Upon arrival, crews reported light smoke showing from a three-story, multi-family dwelling.

Officials say the fire was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler system which prevented any injuries and further
damage to the apartment and surrounding apartments.

“Multi-family dwelling fires can be very dangerous for everybody involved, the sprinkler did its job by extinguishing the fire very quickly and preventing any injuries from occurring,” said Battalion Chief Matt Bowsher.

The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department, Beaufort County EMS, and the Town
of Port Royal Police Department all responded to the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A fire at a downtown Madison apartment caused minimal damage thanks to a sprinkler system.

Madison Fire Department crews were sent to the apartment in the 300 block of West Washington Ave. just before 8:30 p.m. Monday after a fire alarm activated.

Crews went to the fourth floor and noticed a slight haze in the hallway. An automatic sprinkler head was found to have activated in one of the apartments, and the resident was inside gathering their things. A charred plastic bag of groceries was found on the stove.

Officials said the person had left the groceries on the stove so that they could leave and move their car. The person was not sure how the stove may have been turned on but guessed that they had bumped a dial when setting the groceries down.

The sprinkler above the stove activated because of the heat of the fire, and quickly put it out. The groceries were the only thing damaged and no injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system contains fourth floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

Rockford firefighters dispatched just after 6:00 p.m. Tuesday to the 2100 block of Kishwaukee Street for a kitchen fire.

Units first on scene say black smoke rolled out of a fourth floor apartment fire that started in the kitchen, but was mostly self contained the building sprinkler system.

No injuries to residents or firefighters were reported. Residents on the fourth floor were moved to lower levels, but no other evacuations were necessary.