Category Archives: Residential

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for attic fire at senior living center; No injuries reported

Residents with mobility issues had to be carried from the upper floors of a Midtown senior living facility after a fire in the attic space disabled the elevators.

Tucson Fire crews were dispatched to the facility in the 1500 block of East River Road at 9:35 a.m. for reports of smoke coming from an attic space, according to a social media post from TFD.

The fire was under control by 9:53 a.m. No residents were injured. A maintenance worker was transported from the scene with a medical issue unrelated to the fire, the post said.

Several residents were carried from the facility. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading, but the water caused significant damage to more than a dozen units, the post said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Trenton, MO – Sprinkler system activated for deck fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

On October 23, 2023, at approximately 12:28 a.m., a structural fire broke out at 2414 Oklahoma Ave, Apartment 10. The incident, which lasted roughly two hours, drew an immediate response from local emergency services after a 911 notification was received.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met with smoke and visible flames emanating from the rear deck of the apartment. The property, owned by Morse & Sons and occupied by Samantha Lynch and Eryn Howe, suffered moderate damage, primarily confined to the rear deck and siding.

Lt. Derek Hert said firefighting personnel deployed a 1 ¾ inch attack line, successfully extinguishing the fire. Firefighters then employed a thermal imaging camera to inspect the area for potential fire extensions, but none were found. The crew stayed on-site, aiding the Missouri Division of Fire Safety Fire Investigators in determining the cause and assessing the overall scene.

One notable factor in the incident’s management was the activation of the exterior fire sprinkler system serving the deck area. This system played a role in suppressing the fire, significantly limiting its spread and potential for more extensive damage.

While there were no injuries reported, the incident left the property with moderate damage. The Missouri Division of Fire Safety Fire Investigators have since attributed the cause to improper disposal of smoking materials.

Support was also received from several other departments, including the Grundy County Ambulance, Trenton Police Department, and the MO Division of Fire Safety Fire Investigation unit.

Apartment Building, Residential

Dayton, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire on apartment building balcony

A fire broke out on the balcony of a new downtown Dayton apartment building shortly after 12:35 p.m. Tuesday, resulting in a large response from fire and emergency medical personnel.

The blaze occurred on the balcony of a fifth floor apartment in the Monument building, which is a 124-unit residential structure located along Monument Avenue, across from RiverScape MetroPark. The Monument opened in the spring.

Fire officials and residents in the building said fire and EMS crews arrived on the scene within minutes, and the blaze was quickly extinguished.

One of the Dayton Fire Department’s fire stations is located about a block away, at North Main Street and Monument Avenue.

District fire Chief Nicholas Judge said the Monument’s balconies have water sprinklers, and the fire suppression activated, which helped battle the fire.

Firefighters entered the unit and completely knocked out the blaze using fire extinguishers.

“We don’t have a whole lot of information yet — we’re still trying to figure out what happened,” Judge said.

The fire started to extend up to the balcony above, but the exterior sprinkler head “did its job and pretty much held the fire in check,” he said.

Judge said the fire damaged and broke the balcony door, but there appears to be minimal smoke damage to the fifth floor apartment.

“Everybody was very lucky, and it’s a newer constructed building that’s completely up to code, and the outside sprinkler did its job and averted a much bigger catastrophe,” he said. “We had crews on scene very, very quickly.”

Karla White, 48, who lives on the sixth floor of the Monument, left her apartment and headed outside when she heard the alarm.

At first, she assumed it was a fire drill. But the large fire response made it clear this was the real deal. She also saw water gushing from the fifth floor balcony.

White just finished moving into her apartment on Monday. She said she moved to the Monument because she fell in love with the kitchen and she really likes how close she lives to RiverScape and downtown’s shopping and dining options and amenities.

“We have wonderful neighbors too,” she said. “We’re really happy here.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Los Angeles, CA – Sprinkler system activated for fire in three-story apartment building; No injuries reported

Yesterday, Los Angeles firefighters managed a fire in a Vermont-Slauson apartment building.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reports the fire ignited within a second-floor unit of the three-story building.

A fire sprinkler in the unit helped contain the blaze until firefighters arrived to douse it.

From the time of the alarm sounding to the extinguishing of the blaze, thirteen minutes passed. The occupants of the apartment complex evaded injury. Currently, the fire’s cause is under investigation.

College/University (on campus), Other - Residential, Residential, School / University

Auburn, NY – Sprinkler system extinguishes stovetop fire at community college; No injuries reported

A minor fire, ignited by food on a stovetop, led to the displacement of several Lattimore Hall residents on Saturday, according to the Auburn Fire Department.

The incident, which occurred at the independent student housing complex for Cayuga Community College, was reported at approximately 4:47 p.m.

Officials said the dormitory’s sprinkler system quickly extinguished the fire before firefighters reached the scene.

However, the resulting water damage prompted the Auburn Code Enforcement Office to condemn the affected third-floor unit and the units directly beneath it on the first and second floors.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Lattimore Hall’s management is currently arranging alternate accommodations for the displaced students, and the fire department has taken measures to manage the aftermath of the incident, including shutting down the third floor’s sprinkler system and ventilating the smoke. Auburn City Ambulance was also present on-site.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Lake Worth Beach, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-family residential building; No injuries reported

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said it responded to the 6300 block of Pinestead Drive at 10:50 a.m. after a report of a high-rise structure fire.

Firefighters found a three-story multi-family residential building with smoke showing from the first floor.

The fire department said once its personnel entered the building, the fire sprinkler system in the building prevented the fire from going beyond the room where it was started.

Fire personnel brought the flames under control and reported no injuries because of the incident.

The Red Cross said it is providing emergency financial assistance, health services and other resources to people affected.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Gatineau, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at long-term care facility; No injuries reported

Ten people have been displaced by a fire at a long-term care home in Gatineau overnight.

Gatineau fire crews responded to CHSLD Lionel-Émond just before 2 a.m. and confirmed a fire in a storage room on the fourth floor.

Twenty five people from the third and fourth floors were safely evacuated from the building and there are no injuries reported.

The fire was under control around 2:45 a.m. largely due to the automatic sprinkler system in the building.

Ten people were relocated to the Hull Hospital due to fire and water damage to their units.

Damage to the building is pegged around $170,000.

Other - Residential, Residential, Sorority / Fraternity

Winona, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire in historic mansion; No injuries reported

Twelve residents of the historic Huff-Lamberton mansion in Winona are displaced after a fire broke out around 2:31 a.m. Friday.

The fire was confined to a common area near the entrance to the mansion, according to the Winona Police Department.

The fire, which required off-duty firefighters to be called for assistance, resulted in minor fire, smoke and water damage to the building.

The fire did not result in any injuries, but the department reported one resident had to be assisted in evacuating the building by firefighters.

The residents of the mansion are being assisted by the Red Cross to find new housing.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The mansion was sold earlier this year to the Kappa Chi Fraternity for $1.85 million, over double the estimated market value of the mansion, according to Winona County’s commercial sale records.

Kappa Chi chapter president Creighton Butler said that the fraternity has not moved into the mansion yet and the residents had leases from before the purchase of the property.

He said the sprinkler system activated and helped contain the fire to the common space. The building’s fire alarm system automatically reported the blaze to the Winona Fire Department.

Butler said there was “a lot to be figured out still” for the fraternity regarding its plans to move into the mansion.

The mansion, built in 1857 by one of Winona’s founders, Henry Huff, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Gorham, ME – Sprinkler system activated for fire in four-story on campus dormitory; No injuries reported

Gorham’s fire chief says the state fire marshal was called to the University of Southern Maine’s campus for the second time in roughly a week on Monday morning.

Chief Ken Fickett says his firefighters were called to Upton Hastings Hall at roughly 2:07 a.m., as students were being evacuated from the four-story dormitory.

The chief says the fire was determined to have started in a closet on the third floor, but was thankfully contained by the floor’s sprinkler system.

This latest incident comes a week after a fire on Monday, Sept. 25, in which a lithium battery from a vape pen was determined to have caused a fire in a trash can on the same floor of Upton Hastings Hall. No injuries were reported in either fire.

In that incident, 23 students were temporarily relocated.

In the latest incident, University of Southern Maine officials say 47 students from two floors are being temporarily relocated due to the damage from the fire sprinkler system, which activated immediately.

This week, there was no damage reported from the fire itself, though the cause is still being investigated.

“Details are still emerging,” wrote USM’s public affairs officer Dan Hartill. “For now, our focus is on the wellbeing of our students.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Cedar Rapids, IA – Fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department is investigating into the cause of an apartment fire.

Emergency crews arrived at the complex on 59 Miller Ave SE Friday at around 7:00 p.m. to see the fire already put out from the building’s sprinkler system.

The firefighters say the sprinkler system was crucial in preventing the flames from spreading.

No one was home at the time of the fire.