Category Archives: Residential

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Provo, UT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at dormitory; No injuries reported

A BYU student making rocket fuel inside the kitchen of a campus dormitory started a fire Sunday that caused damage to the building, displacing residents.

University police said they were alerted to the fire at Heritage Halls – Building Four at 4:30 p.m and found the fire sprinklers had been activated and were flooding the floor.

Flames from the fire “had engulfed the walls and ceiling around the stove and the intense heat tripped the fire sprinkler system,” the department wrote.

After the fire was put out, an investigation found that the student was making homemade rocket fuel on the kitchen stove when it exploded into a fireball.

No one was injured, but the department said “some dorm residents will be displaced due to the flooding.”

“Please keep your experiments in the lab and supervised by trained professionals,” warned the police.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Dewey Beach, DE – Sprinkler system activated for fire in residential unit; No injuries reported

A Feb. 19 fire caused $75,000 in damage to a Dewey Beach residential unit.

The fire was reported at 7:30 p.m. at 1701 Bayard Ave., where firefighters from Rehoboth Beach, Lewes and Bethany Beach found flames coming from top floors of a four-unit building, officials said.

A residential sprinkler system confined the fire to unit A of the building, with moderate damage to the exterior of the structure, officials said. Occupants had exited the home before firefighters arrived, and there were no injuries reported.

Firefighters were on the scene for more than two hours extinguishing the blaze. The Delaware State Fire Marshal is investigating to determine the origin and cause of the fire. More information will be posted when available.

Apartment Building, Residential, Uncategorized

Renton, WA – Sprinkler system contains fire to one room

An apartment fire was taken down early this morning and the sprinkler system helped allow residents to evacuate before it was too late.

The Renton Fire Department (RFD) said the fire started in the 300 block of S. 2nd around 3:30 a.m.

Crews had to immediately call for a full alarm when they arrived with smoke and fire bursting out of the home.

Skyway Fire, King County medics and the Tukwila Fire Department all ended up coming to help.

RFD officials have not yet determined how the fire started, the person who went to the hospital suffered smoke inhalation.

Firefighters say the building sprinkler system actually helped contain the fire itself to one room.

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.