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.
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.
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.”
Firefighters have put out a blaze at a building on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.
Officials say crews found a small fire inside the roof of an apartment building on the 30 block of Peachtree Street around 6:30 Thursday morning.
They say a sprinkler system contained the fire and kept it from spreading.
No one was hurt in the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A fire broke out at the Wolfe Apartments, 240 W. Sprague Ave., at about 1:30 a.m. Monday morning, according to Julie O’Berg, deputy chief at the Spokane Fire Department.
The fire was small and primarily controlled by a sprinkler system in the building, she said. Residents were able to exit the building safely, and no injuries have been reported, O’Berg said.
“Our crews helped with smoke removal and just making sure there’s no extension (of the fire),” O’Berg said.
The number of apartments damaged was not available Monday morning, but O’Berg said most of the damage was caused by the water from the sprinklers. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The building had an automatic fire sprinkler system installed. A single sprinkler activated when exposed to the fire, effectively extinguishing it and preventing the fire from spreading.
Firefighters ensured the fire was completely out and conducted a primary search, locating and rescuing two birds that were inside the home. A secondary search found no victims and an overhaul was completed. One adult, one dog, and two birds were displaced due to the fire; however, no one was injured in the fire.
A fire investigator was on scene and the fire was determined to be caused by cooking and found to be accidental in nature.
The blaze inside a building at 7140 S,. Flight Ave. was reported at 4:48 p.m., Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said.
The department sent 28 firefighters to the scene and extinguished the flames in under 25 minutes, Prange said.
Firefighters used covers to protect belongings from water damage from the sprinklers, he said. Firefighters will remain on site to air out the building with mechanical blowers, he said.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
According to police this morning, 23- year- old Ali Alyodawi was arrested Monday and charged with operation of a drug factory, first- degree reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance or more than a half ounce of cannabis.
While the arrest was Monday, police did not release information about the arrest until this morning.
Alyodawi is due to appear in Danielson Superior Court Aug. 18 and was issued a $ 10,000 bond, according to local police.
Police said Alyodawi lives on the sixth floor of the 560 on Main apartment building.
Willimantic Police Lt. Matthew Solak said Alyodawi is not expected to receive any more charges at this time.
According to Windham Town Manager Jim Rivers, there are 85 units in the building.
Willimantic Fire Department Chief Marc Scrivener said the department got a call about the fire alarm at the apartment building at 10: 59 a. m. Monday.
He said the fire was extinguished by a sprinkler system.
The scene was turned over to Willimantic Police Monday afternoon, according to Solak.
The incident caused quite a scene, shutting down the road in the area of Main and Jackson streets for many hours.
In addition to police and firefighters, personnel from the human services office responded to the scene, as well as Rivers and Windham Fire Marshal/ Emergency Management Director Mike Licata.
Crews were called around midnight at Clare Terrace, located at 36th and France. Clare Terrace offers affordable housing for people living with HIV/AIDS who are experiencing poverty or homelessness.
Investigators say the fire was contained to one unit on the second floor. The cause remains under investigation.
Firefighters had to temporarily turn off gas and electricity to the building. The building had some water damage from sprinklers.
“It was isolated to a very small area within the apartment. It wasn’t like a blaze that gutted the apartment at all,” said Johnny Rios, regional property manager for Project For Pride In Living, Inc., which oversees the complex. “The fire set off the sprinklers system, and so, when our sprinkler system goes off, it floods the entire system into whatever affected area there is.”
Tenants were able to move back into their units Tuesday, except the resident of the unit where the fire started, officials said.
Around 3:45 a.m., an alarm activation was reported at 123 West Pearl St., a 42-unit apartment building. Firefighters, according to Deputy Chief William Atkinson, saw smoke coming from the second floor of the building and requested an additional engine and ladder to the building.
“Due the aggressive interior work of our members, the fire was contained to a mattress in the apartment,” he said. “Two sprinkler heads activated keeping the fire from spreading.”
Atkinson said there was “significant water damage to the first floor store and basement display area.” He added, “Our members performed salvage operations to cover and protect the contents in the store.”
The fire marshal’s office posted more information on Facebook.
Smoke detectors, Atkinson said, alerted occupants to the fire.
The fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.