Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Chapmanville, WV – Sprinkler system activated for fire on apartment building eighth floor; No injuries reported

Nearly 100 residents of the Chapmanville Towers were displaced Monday after a fire broke out on the building’s top floor.

According to the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the fire began in an apartment on the building’s eighth floor. No injuries were reported, but water damage was caused to several apartments by the complex’s automatic sprinkler system going off, which caused water to seep throughout the building.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire and evacuated the building. Initial social media posts also rumored of a roof collapse; however, there were no official reports that indicated such damage.

Most of the 88 residents who were evacuated were transported to Chapmanville Regional High School, but some residents did choose to go to the Tracy Vickers Community Center instead, according to a press release from the Logan County Office of Emergency Management.

The Red Cross responded to the shelter location at the high school to assist the displaced residents. FEMA is also assisting with the displaced, according to the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department.

Property restoration crews were called to the scene as well. There is no word yet on when residents may safely return to the building.

Multiple agencies responded to assist including the Chapmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the City of Logan Fire Department, Henlawson Fire Department, Danville Fire Department, the Logan Emergency Ambulance Service Authority (LEASA), the Logan County Office of Emergency Management and the Boone County Office of Emergency Management.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Prescott, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior living facility

Ninety people are without a home after a fire broke out at a Prescott senior living community on Friday evening.

Around 6 p.m., crews were called about fire and smoke that was reported from a third-story apartment at the Prescott Lakes Senior Living Apartments near Prescott Lakes Parkway and Highway 89. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm due to the building’s size and number of residents inside.

The Prescott Police Department was the first on the scene and saved the resident in the apartment and those in nearby units. Fire crews soon arrived and quickly accessed the apartment on fire. With help from the fire sprinkler system, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the complex.

Some residents evacuated; however, others could not leave their apartments and were told to shelter in place by the fire personnel after it was determined they were not in danger. A Prescott police officer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One resident fainted after being evacuated and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. No other injuries were reported.

Prescott Fire says there was extensive water damage from the sprinklers and fire personnel on all three floors, including an electrical room that powers half of the complex. Therefore, fire officials, the City of Prescott Building Department and utility companies determined it was unsafe for residents to return to their apartments, leaving 90 people and several pets displaced.

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross has arranged a temporary shelter at the Humboldt Unified School District Offices in Prescott Valley. Around 11 residents have chosen to stay at the shelter, while many others are staying with family, friends, and at hotels. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Prescott Fire says the outcome would’ve been different if the sprinkler system were not in place. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, buildings with fire sprinkler systems successfully confine fire spread to the room of origin 95% of the time, compared to 71% of properties without.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Wauconda, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at senior apartment building

A sprinkler system contained a blaze at a senior apartment building in Wauconda until firefighters arrived Thursday afternoon.

The Wauconda Fire District responded to Liberty Arms, 260 Larkdale Row Drive, at 3:09 p.m. and found a fire in a second-floor unit was being kept in check by a sprinkler head, according to a news release.

Crews extinguished the fire, which officials said was related to unattended cooking.

Five people were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the news release said.

Damage was estimated at $300,000. The Red Cross was helping displaced residents.

Apartment Building, Residential

Seattle, WA – Sprinkler system activated for apartment fire; No injuries reported

Puget Sound firefighters put out a fire on Saturday that destroyed the entire front entrance of an apartment.

The fire happened in SeaTac in the 3700 block of 209th Place, according to Puget Sound Fire.

Neighbors used fire extinguishers to put out the fire. The sprinkler system also went off which helped diminish the flames.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brick, NJ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

An apartment fire at the Chambers Bridge Residence was quickly contained Wednesday afternoon thanks to working fire sprinklers and the quick response of firefighters, Brick Township fire officials said Thursday.

There were no injuries in the fire at the 184-unit five-story building, a statement from Kevin C. Batzel, chief of the Brick Township Bureau of Fire Safety said.

Brick Township emergency dispatch received an alert about a waterflow activation at the apartment complex at 3:47 p.m. and first responders found an active fire in a second-floor apartment, Batzel said.

The fire happened in a hamper in a bedroom and the fire sprinkler head in the bedroom activated, dousing the flames, and firefighters confirmed the fire was under control within minutes of their arrival, then made quick work of smoke that lingered, he said.

The fire was contained to that room with some minor water and smoke damage to that apartment and apartments on either side and on the first floor, Batzel said.

Residents of all of the apartments except those that suffered damage were able to return to normal within hours, Batzel said.

“The bureau would like to thank the quick response of all the Brick Township fire departments, our mutual aid companies, Brick Township Police, Brick EMS and Townshipo Emergency Management for their quick response,” the statement said.

“It should be noted that the working fire sprinkler system and smoke alarms activation kept damage to a minimum in conjunction with the quick fire department response,” Batzel said. “Working alarms and the presence of fire sprinklers are imperative to fire and life safety and no doubt kept the fire small and controllable with minimal disruption to the building.”

Fire Chiefs Joe Licandro and Tom Bisbal of Fire District 1 were in control at the scene, and inspectors Joseph Sansone and Paul Matula from the fire bureau investigated.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kansas City, MO – Sprinkler system activated for fire on 21st floor of apartment building; No injuries reported

Kansas City, Missouri, firefighters are crediting a sprinkler system for quickly turning back a small fire in an apartment on the 21st floor of the One Light apartment building downtown.

Around 3:30 p.m., fire crews were called out to the residential high-rise at 50 E. 13th St.

A KCFD spokesperson said firefighters completed extinguishing the fire with assistance from the sprinkler system. Crews remained on the scene as of 4:15 p.m. to limit any water damage to units on floors below.

No injuries were reported from the fire. The KCFD spokesperson was not sure if the apartment was occupied at the time of the fire.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Other - Residential, Residential

Santa Cruz, CA – Sprinkler system contains fire in six-story residential building

A sprinkler system helped contained a restaurant fire in a six-story residential building to the kitchen where it started Monday evening, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.

Initially reported as an individual in need of rescue, Santa Cruz firefighters responded to the 1010 Pacific Ave. scene shortly after 4 p.m. Arriving firefighters entering the building encountered heavy smoke coming from inside the kitchen, but found no trapped building occupants, Battalion Chief Josh Coleman wrote in a media release. Two adults reporting smoke inhalation were treated at the scene, the department said.

Occupants of the building’s 113 apartments were evacuated during the fire. The fire was extinguished within about 10 minutes and firefighters spent two hours searching for hidden fire extension elsewhere in the building and assisting residents in returning to their homes. The department estimated the fire resulted in about $10,000 worth of damages.

Fire investigators determined the cause to be accidental, with no foul play noted. The two-alarm fire drew mutual aid assistance from Central and Scotts Valley fire protection districts.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fitchburg, WI – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Fitchburg fire officials say an entire apartment would have likely gone up in flames Monday if it wasn’t for an automatic sprinkler system.

Division Chief of Prevention and Inspection Mark Mlekush said a fire was reported at an apartment complex on Traceway Drive off Fish Hatchery Road around 1:30 p.m.

Fire crews arrived to sounding alarms, but they couldn’t find an active fire. After a search of the building, crews found a single sprinkler had triggered and put out a kitchen fire before it spread.

Because the sprinkler activated quickly, fire damage was limited to the immediate area of the kitchen.

The complex’s residents were briefly evacuated, but were able to return home within an hour.

Mlekush said without the automatic sprinkler system, it was “highly likely” the entire building would have been compromised by the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fargo, ND – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

Sprinklers extinguished a fire in an apartment complex on Saturday morning.

According to officials, on Saturday, July 8 at 11:22 a.m., Fargo Firefighters were dispatched to a report of fire alarms sounding in an apartment building at 4462 30th Ave S.  When firefighters arrived, light smoke was observed in a first floor hallway.

Firefighters found water coming from under a doorway midway down the hallway.

When Fargo Firefighters opened the door, they were met by smoke banked down to the floor.

Officials say a search of the apartment found no one inside and a small bedroom fire that had activated a fire sprinkler; the sprinkler had fully extinguished the fire.  The resident of the apartment was found outside on her first floor patio.

Fire and smoke damage to the bedroom and its contents was minor due to the sprinkler activation.  Prior to the sprinkler being shut down by Fargo Firefighters, the water had migrated into several neighboring apartments.

A local water removal contractor was brought to the scene by property management.  Tenants were allowed back into the adjoining apartments and will not be displaced.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and a preliminary damage estimate is not yet available.

Apartment Building, Residential

North Attleboro, MA – Sprinkler system contains fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

The North Attleboro Fire Department extinguished a structure fire in an apartment building on Friday night.

Chief Christopher Coleman said that firefighters responded to an apartment building at 12 Moody St. around 11 p.m.

Upon arrival, firefighters observed coming from a second floor apartment, in which a small fire was being contained by the building’s sprinkler system.

Coleman said the department was able to extinguish the fire with mutual aid from fire departments from Attleboro, Plainville, Foxboro, Mansfield, Cumberland, Rhode Island, Mansfield MEMA and Providence Canteen.

The department said it searched and evacuated all 22 apartments in the building.

The chief added that no injuries were reported, and two people were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the North Attleboro Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit.

Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers