Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

East Wenatchee, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes cooking fire caused by oil

A Tuesday night structure fire in East Wenatchee left occupants displaced and was a result of oil left cooking on the stove.

According to public information officer, Kay McKellar, Douglas County Fire District 2 responded to the structure fire around 9 p.m. in the 500 block of 11th street. A man in the home was cooking oil on the stove and left to head to the grocery store. When he returned home, the oil had started a small fire.

The overhead sprinkler did put out the fire, however there was water damage from the sprinkler to both the unit and the one below. The Red Cross was called to assist with the displaced occupants.

Residential, Single Family Home

Lexington Park, MD – Sprinkler system activated for residential fire; No injuries reported

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at 4:34 a.m., firefighters from the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department were alerted to 22278 Scott Circle in Lexington Park, for the residential fire alarm.

Dispatchers received a 911 call from the alarm company reporting a 1st floor smoke detector sounding. Less than 2 minutes later, the resident called 911 reporting the house was on fire.

The assignment was then upgraded to a structure fire, bringing firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, and Hollywood to the scene.

Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with smoke showing.

Upon further investigation, firefighters located and extinguished a small fire in a closet.

Firefighters checked for extensions and searched the residence which yielded negative results.

The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal responded to the scene to continue the investigation.

Preliminary investigation revealed the residents were alerted to the fire by the smoke detectors in the home, the resident discovered the fire and called 911.

Officials want to continue the importance of citizens replacing smoke detectors yearly and making sure they work properly. The smoke detectors and residential sprinkler system were both present and activated, with the sprinkler system controlling the fire until the arrival of fire department personnel.

The owner is identified as Ronald Flowers, with the estimated loss of structure and contents valued at $11,000.00

No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross was requested for three adults and one child.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Southern Regional Office, at 443-550-6831.

Apartment Building, Residential

Hillsboro, OR – Sprinkler system activated for fire in apartment building

Firefighters say two people had to be rescued from an apartment fire in Hillsboro Wednesday morning.

At 10:08 a.m., a commercial fire alarm alert was received at the Washington County 911 dispatch center indicating fire sprinkler activation at 722 Northeast Autumncreek Way. Additional information to 911 reported white smoke coming from a third-floor apartment and that a person may be inside the unit.

The first fire engine arrived to find smoke showing from an upstairs unit and audible fire alarms. When firefighters made entry into the unit, they found heavy smoke, fire sprinklers flowing, and two persons inside the unit. Both people were rescued and taken safely down to awaiting paramedics.

The fire was quickly extinguished and contained to the single unit. The fire did not extend to any additional units but the apartment immediately below the fire was impacted by water from the sprinkler system.

A fire investigator determined the cause of the fire to be improper storage of smoking materials.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Frisco, TX – Fire at senior living community contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Frisco Fire Department on Monday announced an investigation into a fire that started in an apartment at the Watermere at Frisco independent senior living community, located at 4220 Cotton Gin Road.

The fire was contained in the apartment of origin due to the activation of the fire sprinkler system, the department stated. Dispatch was alerted by the alarm company of a ‘water flow’ alarm at 9:36 a.m. Sunday. The first unit arrived three minutes later. Frisco Fire responded with two engines, one ladder truck, and one battalion chief on the initial assignment due to it being an alarm investigation in a specialty risk structure, the department stated.

During the investigation by the first arriving unit, smoke was found in the building.

Additional units were requested as a working fire was declared. The fire, located in an apartment on the second floor, was kept small and not allowed to grow as rapidly due to the fire sprinklers that had activated when the fire began, the department stated. A total of 15 units and 35 personnel were dispatched to the fire. Eight units and 22 personnel were used to help mitigate the incident.

No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Utilities to the apartments damaged by fire or water have been shut off. Watermere a Frisco is a four-story independent senior living community.

Apartment Building, Residential

Quincy, MA – Apartment balcony fire kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A woman and her two dogs were kept safe from harm Monday morning after a pile of trash on her apartment’s third-floor balcony caught fire.

Quincy firefighters responded to a fire alarm Monday morning in Building F of the apartment complex at 500 Falls Blvd. A fire sprinkler was right above where the fire started and kept it under control until firefighters arrived, officials said. 

“They were storing some rubbish out on the deck on the third floor and it caught fire,” Quincy Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Gorman said. “They don’t know what was in there that could have caught, they don’t smoke or anything, but it just caught fire.”

Gorman said the woman was home with her pets when she smelled the smoke. She immediately left the building with her dogs and called the fire department. Firefighters were already on their way when she called because an alarm had come into the station, Gorman said. 

The building was evacuated, nobody was injured and damage was minimal. 

“There was very little damage. … The cards all lined up and everything came out right. Nobody got hurt and there was no damage, it was a best-case scenario,” Gorman said. 

The deputy chief said those living in the apartment were lucky for the outcome.

“It was the exact same scenario as the building across the street a few years ago that actually burned down,” he said. “It was the same thing. … They were very lucky.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Minot, ND – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire; No injuries reported

Crews responded to a small fire in a fourth floor unit of the Artspace Lofts apartment complex in downtown Minot Wednesday afternoon, and a person was detained in the investigation, according to the Minot Fire Department.

Capt. Aaron Peterson said the call came in at 1:15 p.m. of the fire, and the apartment’s sprinkler system put the fire out.

Crews ventilated the building for smoke. Peterson said one tenant on the third floor was temporarily displaced due to water damage and is being set up in a hotel.

Peterson said no one was hurt.

Your News Leader has reached out to Minot Police for more information on the person detained and the circumstances surrounding the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Temple, TX – Apartment fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Temple Fire & Rescue responded to a fire that almost displaced a family this Wednesday morning, July 21.

At 3:27 a.m. Temple Fire & Rescue dispatched to an apartment complex located on 2012 S. 31st St.

Three residents occupied the apartment, 2 adults and a child, and 16 personnel arrived on the scene along with The Temple Police Department and Temple EMS.

It was determined that the unit’s sprinkler system had extinguished the blaze. Additional apartment units received water damage from the sprinkler system as well.

Investigation revealed that the fire began with an unattended candle, and the fire department issued a warning on candle safety:

• Always keep a burning candle within sight.
• Keep candles away from anything combustible.
• Put candles out of reach of children.

“Fortunately, this situation did not result in further harm to anyone inside the home,” Public Information Officer Santos Soto said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Tallahassee, FL – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Tallahassee Fire Department says it responded to an apartment fire and duplex fire within a roughly six-hour period.

The call for the first fire came in around 6 p.m. Monday, and crews were sent to an apartment on the 400 block of West College Avenue, TFD says. As they arrived, firefighters realized the building’s sprinkler system put out the fire. TFD says the crews worked to remove smoke and water from the apartment.

All the people escaped from that fire safely. TFD determined the fire started from cooking in the kitchen.

Apartment Building, Residential

Roseburg, OR – Cigarette fire at apartment extinguished by sprinkler system

A discarded cigarette started a fire at the Rose Apartments and caused the complex’s sprinkler system to flood the fourth floor, according to the Roseburg Fire Department.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters responded to a water alarm at the apartments in the 800 block of Southeast Stephens Street, Roseburg. When they arrived, they found water flowing from the upper floors, into the stairwell and out of the front doorway.

When firefighters searched the building they discovered remnants of a fire that had likely started inside an upstairs closet where a used cigarette had been tossed into a garbage bin, according to a press release.

The apartment complex had an automatic sprinkler system installed and when it sensed smoke from the fire it activated and extinguished the fire. The sprinklers caused water damage throughout the building, including several rooms and common spaces, but quickly doused the flames and prevented it from growing, said Fire Marshal Brian Jewell.

“This is a great reminder that sprinkler systems can not only save lives, it can reduce damage to property if functioning properly,” he said in a press release.

Jewell said it’s important to check wastebaskets and cushions in rooms where people have been smoking and look for embers that are still burning.

“Cigarettes can smolder longer than most bedding materials can upholstery can resist igniting,” he said.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

New Haven, CT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at senior apartment building; No injuries reported

Two fires in four days broke out on the 10th floor of the McQueeney Towers public housing complex—the first in an empty office space, the second outdoors on a residential balcony.

No tenants were hurt or displaced as city firefighters quickly put out both blazes.

Both of those fires took place at the 83-unit Charles T. McQueeney Towers Apartments at 358 Orange St. downtown. The public housing authority property is home to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. It also hosts on its groundfloor the headquarters of the Housing Authority of New Haven.

The first fire took place at around 12:20 p.m. on Saturday. The second took place at around 7:58 p.m. on Tuesday. Both occurred on the high-rise’s 10th floor.

Here’s what happened, according to city Fire Chief John Alston.

On Saturday, he said, the fire took place in a non-residential office space on the 10th floor.

The fire was consistent with an overloaded electrical outlet and extension cord, he said. The extension cord was not Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certified.

“It overheated and caused a fire in that area,” Alston said.

Because that 10th-floor office space was empty at the time, Alston said, “the fire burned undetected until it activated the sprinkler system and the alarm system.”

Firefighters contained the blaze, he said, but there was “a lot of water damage” due to the activation of the sprinklers. A lot of the water got into the building’s elevator shaft, he said, leading to the elevator being taken out of service for a few hours.

Thanks to the hard work of an elevator tech and firefighters who “dewatered” and dried the elevator shaft and checked all of the apartments below the fire, the elevator was brought back online within a few hours and no tenants were displaced. (McQueeney Towers has two elevators but, at the time of the fire on Saturday, one elevator was already out of service and awaiting repairs.)

The Tuesday evening fire at McQueeney also took place on the building’s 10th floor, Alston said.

This time, the blaze occurred on a residential apartment’s outdoor balcony.

“A large amount of materials were burned,” he said. “Fortunately, because it was outside, the fire was contained to the outside.”

There was “minor water intrusion” into the unit, he said. Again, no injuries, and no displacements.

This second fire is still under investigation, Alston said. It appears to have taken place in a large, plastic storage container on the outdoor balcony. Firefighters did not find any grill on the balcony, he said.

While the department is not yet sure whether the fire was intentional or accidental, Alston said, the cause appears to be “by human hand.”

Does the fire department think these two 10th-floor fires were related?

“At this time, it’s inconclusive” whether or not they are related, he said.

While the department is confident that the “ignition source” of Saturday’s fire was electrical, he said, the department is still investigating what exactly was the ignition source of Tuesday’s balcony blaze.

How would he describe city firefighter responses to both fires?

“In both instances, tremendous responses,” he said. “Quick response. Quick knock down [of both fires]. I’m very proud.”

Asked for comment on both McQueeney fires, Housing Authority of New Haven Interim Director Shenae Draughn told the Independent: “The fire yesterday was contained to a balcony and was extinguished quickly.  The fire on Saturday activated our sprinkler system that extinguished the fire. Both are under investigation.

“Once the investigation is completed, we’ll implement mitigating procedures. Our team, police and fire did an exceptional job with ensuring resident’s safety and that their subsequent needs were taken care of.”