Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Beaufort, SC – Sprinkler system extinguishes grease fire at apartment complex

A grease fire at an apartment in Beaufort County has left one family displaced.

The fire broke out shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Friday at the Magnolia Park Apartments on Laurel Bay Road, according to the Burton Fire District.

The Burton Fire District, MCAS Fire Department, Beaufort County EMS and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office all responded.

BFD said the apartment’s sprinkler system kicked on and extinguished the fire prior to firefighters’ arrival.

When firefighters did arrive on scene, they said they found a single sprinkler head that activated above a stove where the grease fire had erupted. Firefighters stopped the flow of water from the sprinkler head, which produces approximately 25 gallons of water a minute, until the complex’s maintenance personnel restored the system.

Due to smoke and water in the apartment, the family of six that lived there was displaced. Red Cross is now assisting the family.

Burton fire officials said that while the family of this apartment had to be temporarily relocated, the families in the other five apartments were able to return home.

“A fire doubles in size every 18-30 seconds, and even with a less than three-minute response by firefighters, without that sprinkler system and single sprinkler head, the fire would have devastated that apartment and caused damages throughout the building, possibly displacing all six families,” said Burton Fire District Community Support Officer Capt. Daniel Byrne.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Phoenix, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes 10th floor fire in university dorm

Students living in the Taylor Place Residential Community on the Downtown Phoenix campus woke up to an alarm and sprinklers early Saturday morning after a fire broke out in one of the dorm rooms on the 10th floor of tower one.

The fire was caused by an electrical surge in the dorm room, which activated the water sprinkler system, according to an emailed statement from University spokesperson, Jerry Gonzalez. All residents were told to evacuate the towers and wait outside until it was safe to return.

The sprinklers “promptly extinguished the fire” and all residents evacuated the building safely, Gonzalez said.

Mary Neale, a freshman studying sports journalism who lives on the 11th floor, said she heard people running down the hallways knocking on doors, alerting residents to evacuate. Neale said students rushed down the stairs and waited outside Taylor Place while the authorities cleared the fire.

Due to flooding caused by the sprinklers, students living on the 10th floor have been relocated to the Downtown Phoenix Hampton Inn until their rooms have been completely restored. Gonzalez said in the statement there are about 30 students staying in the off-campus lodging. While there is no exact timeline for when students will be able to return to their rooms, University housing will notify them when the rooms are ready.

Gonzalez said the University is currently drying the impacted rooms and will be working with other students who were affected by the water sprinklers and will help them replace items that were damaged.

Michael and Anthony Yero, both freshman sports journalism students, were the occupants of the room that caught on fire. Michael Yero said authorities told him that his electrical razor was plugged into an outlet and caused a surge. One of the sparks fell onto a towel, which ignited and spread to his laundry.

“Its been a couple of days just figuring out what I can do and managing school and work at the same time,” Michael Yero said. “It’s been a busy couple of days trying to get back to normal.”

Michael Yero said the fire from the surge and water from the sprinklers damaged much of his and his brother’s belongings including a laptop, camera, camera lenses and clothes. But even with the damages and having to move, Michael said that throughout the experience he and his brother have “tried to look at the good side of things.”

He said that even when they learned it was their room that was affected by the fire, they were and continue to get through by supporting each other and doing what they can do to move forward. 

“When we first heard it was our room we looked at each other and we said that we are there for each other and have each others’ backs,” Michael said. “We’re supportive of each other throughout the whole way.”

According to Michael Yero, the University provided him and his brother gift cards for essentials and will provide a stipend to replace their damaged items. He said that despite not being in his dorm, living in the Hampton Inn has been a “great time” and it has provided him the opportunity to spend more time with his friends.

“ASU has been been very helpful,” Michael Yero said. “(The University) team did a great job in responding to the situation. They were very kind in giving money to help us out and accompany us and comfort us. They did a great job.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high-rise apartment building; No injuries reported

About 200 residents had to be evacuated Sunday night after a fire sparked at a high-rise building in Tempe.

Firefighters responded to the scene at a residential building near 6th Street and Mill Avenue.

The fire was quickly upgraded to a 3rd-alarm fire which prompted more crews to respond. At one point, we’re told 250 firefighters were on the scene from six different cities.

Fire officials say it started when a fire sparked in a 9th-floor unit. It caused the sprinkler system to go off which contained the flames to a single unit.

The was water damage on the 9th, 8th, and 7th floors. A total of 5 units were displaced.

Sometime after midnight residents were allowed to reenter their homes.

Details of what sparked the fire haven’t been released.

There were no injuries reported.

Residential, Single Family Home

Clarkdale, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for garage fire; No injuries reported

Sunday night, Verde Valley Fire responded to a garage fire in the 600-block of King Copper Road in Clarkdale. Chief Danny Johnson says the home owner had placed hot ashes into their garbage can earlier in the day and then put the can into the garage. The can caught fire shortly after and activated the sprinkler system, which controlled the spread of the fire. Johnson says crews extinguished the fire and limited further spread. Everyone is reminded to place hot ashes into a metal container away from combustibles, soak it in water for a day, and dispose of it once it’s cold and out. No injuries were reported. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Westfield, MA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

Two families are left without a home following a fire in a Westfield apartment complex Tuesday night.

Fire officials told Western Mass News that this was not the first fire in that same apartment building.

Back in 2018, a fire in Building 5 of the Powder Mill Village displaced everyone living there. On Tuesday, another fire in that same building displaced two families.

The Fire Department credited a new sprinkler system for saving lives and stopping the flames.

“I laughed and thought it was somebody that just over cooked their supper,” said Sheila Elmer.

Elmer’s family is now without a home after a fire broke out in the apartment above hers, also leaving her handicapped husband and autistic son with just the clothes on their backs.

“We’ve lost most of everything,” she told us. “Everything has a very bad burnt plastic smell.”

Westfield Fire officials told Western Mass News that they responded to the fire in Building 5 of Powder Mill Village around 6 p.m. on Tuesday night and that the cause has been identified as an unattended candle.

Deputy Fire Chief Seth Ellis said that a fire in the same building close to 4 years ago displaced the entire building. It has since been rebuilt, and because of new laws, a sprinkler system had to be installed, which he said ultimately saved lives.

“The sprinkler system that was installed in the building after a serious fire in 2018 extinguished the fire for the most part prior to the fire department arrival and prevented this from being a much worse incident,” Deputy Chief Ellis explained.

Elmer said that if it was not for the sprinkler system, her family may not have gotten out in time.

“If the sprinkler wasn’t there, it would’ve caught on fire and burnt multiple, again like last time,” she told us.

She said that her husband is in the hospital after having difficulty breathing and her son’s therapy cat is missing, but she is glad everyone is safe and is hopeful her family will be able to find a handicapped accessible apartment quickly.

“We have a lot of support,” said Elmer. “The immediate need is just getting us a place to live. I have fourteen dollars in the bank. I’m not going to get anywhere with that. It’s too cold to be in the car; my husband and son can’t be in the car. I can, but not them.”

The fire department said that some of the other buildings in the complex have partial sprinkler systems in place but Building 5 is the only building with a full system. They also recommended using electronic candles instead of an open flame. No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

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

A fire sprinkler system did its job at a Madison apartment complex Sunday.

Crews were called to the complex in the 200 block of North Walbridge Avenue just after 11 a.m.

Officials said a resident on the third floor had heated oil on a stovetop, which caused a fire. The fire sprinkler system was activated, extinguishing the flames.

No injuries were reported and no occupants were displaced. Officials said the fire caused about $1,500 worth of damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Circleville, OH – Sprinkler system activated for third-floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

A fire has been reported in an apartment in Everts Hill located at 532 South Court Street in Circleville around 6:30 pm on Monday.

According to early reports, smoke and fire have been seen in a third-floor apartment. The building was evacuated and many of the residents are in the cold.

Update from Chief Thompson, a small fire in the bedroom of 3rd-floor apartment, sprinkler system contained the fire. Smoke and fire damage was contained to one apartment only, but five additional units were damaged with water from the system.

All other residents returned to their homes, the six units affected are being helped by a red cross. Management is on the scene now for clean-up and contacting the appropriate fire service companies. No injuries were reported in the fire.

Other - Residential, Residential

Saskatoon, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at homeless shelter; No injuries reported

A fire that originated in a suite in the Lighthouse in Saskatoon resulted in several residents fleeing the building overnight.

The Lighthouse is a supported living facility and homeless shelter in the city.

In a release, the Saskatoon Fire Department said it received a report of a fire in a third floor suite at around 3:19 a.m. CST on Friday. When fire crews arrived, they saw occupants from that floor leaving the building.

The fire department said the fire created heavy smoke but low heat, because the sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in a small state. Fire crews finished putting out the fire.

It said fire damage was contained to the one suite, but water had drained from the suite and affected approximately 15 suites, mainly ceiling tiles.

Initially, the fire department said it was possible some residents might need to be rehoused as a result of the fire. Later Friday morning, it said no residents will be displaced, as significant water damage was confined to the one suite and the Lighthouse will accommodate its occupant.

The department said cleanup is underway and the suite is expected to be fit for occupancy by early next week.

A fire investigator determined the cause was accidental due to improper disposal of smoking material, the department said. Damage was initially estimated at $150,000, but that has since been revised down to $40,000.

No one was injured.

Apartment Building, Residential

Naperville, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

Naperville Fire Department extinguished a structure fire in 2100 Block of Allegre Circle on Naperville’s northwest side. No injuries reported. (PN file photos are used to help flag reports about Naperville Fire and Police Department responses to emergency calls and Crime Stoppers, always reminding readers that keeping the community safe is everyone’s responsibility.) Be alert. Stay safe.

At 7:17PM on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call for the structure fire in the 2100 block of Allegre Circle. Naperville 911(PSAP) dispatched a general alarm assignment consisting of 10 pieces of fire apparatus and 24 personnel including an Incident Commander and Incident Safety Officer to the reported address.

At 7:21PM, the first unit arrived on scene and found a three-story apartment building with a fire in unit 209. Incident command was established, and a 360-degree survey was conducted of the building. Fire companies quickly ascended to the second floor with hose lines and found a sprinkler head activated in the unit. The sprinkler held the fire in check until fire companies could fully extinguish it.

The fire was contained to unit 209 and was fully extinguished at 7:28PM.

The North Aurora and West Chicago fire departments provided coverage to Naperville fire stations during this incident. The cause is fire is still under investigation. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.

Only two units (109 & 209) were deemed to be uninhabitable by the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, and Development Team. A total of four residents were displaced and the fire is estimated to have caused $20,000 in
damages.

Apartment Building, Residential

Duluth, MN – Sprinkler system activated for second-floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

All tenants at the Burke Apartments in Duluth are temporarily displaced due to water damage from a sprinkler system responding to the fire. The apartment building provides affordable housing to adults with disabilities.

A fire was reported around 9:30 a.m. Monday in a second-floor unit at Burke Apartments, 720 Maple Grove Road, Duluth. It triggered a sprinkler system to activate, causing water damage to nearly all 21 units in the building. A news release from the Duluth Fire Department said the sprinkler system kept the flames in check and no one was injured.

Of the 21 units in the two-story apartment building, 16 were occupied at the time of the fire. Tenants evacuated the building prior to the firefighters’ arrival. According to the Duluth Fire Marshal’s Office, the cause of the fire was accidental.

All tenants are temporarily displaced due to the water damage. Fire and water damage is estimated at $55,000, according to the Duluth Police Department. Property manager Accessible Space is providing tenants with assistance until they can return to the building. The Burke Apartments provide affordable housing for adults with disabilities.

Fire crews from Duluth Heights, Spirit Valley and Duluth Fire Headquarters used vacuums and other equipment to attempt to remove water from the affected units. A local damage mitigation company will assist in the cleanup.