Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

Williamsburg, VA – Apartment kitchen fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Two residents of an apartment complex in Williamsburg had to relocate out of their unit after a kitchen fire broke out Saturday night.

The City of Williamsburg Fire Department, James City County Fire Department and York County Fire and Life Safety were all called on Saturday, Feb. 6 around 8:45 p.m to an apartment fire that occurred in the 1400 block of Middle Street. 

There were 22 firefighters initially called for the incident.

When the first crew arrived on the scene at 8:49 p.m., they said they spotted smoke coming from the second-floor hallway in one of the buildings. This was when firefighters noticed a kitchen fire that had been put out by the building’s sprinkler system, which was in the unit where the fire started.

Firefighters conducted salvage and overhaul operations in the affected apartment and said there was no fire extension found. Additionally, there was no other smoke or fire on the other floors in the building, and the fire was under control by 9:08 p.m.

However, the apartments on the first floor (right under the unit where the fire happened) were affected by water damage, from the sprinkler system. 

The apartment complex’s management relocated the two occupants who were displaced from the fire.

The City of Williamsburg’s Community Risk Reduction team is investigating the cause of the fire and said no injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Salt Lake City, UT – Apartment sprinkler system helps put out fire after refrigerator explosion

An area of downtown Salt Lake City was closed to traffic on Saturday as emergency officials and the Utah Department of Health investigated the scene of a fire that injured two people.

The fire was located in an apartment building at 360 South and 400 West. SLC Fire responded around 1 p.m. according to Captain Anthony Burton.

Burton said the call came into emergency officials as an explosion from a refrigerator in an apartment on the third floor. When firefighters arrived they detected “light smoke” on that floor and executed an aggressive response with help from the building’s sprinkler system.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

North Aurora, IL – Townhouse garage fire stopped by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

North Aurora Fire Protection District officials said no one was injured in an early Sunday morning fire inside a townhouse garage.

Fire officials said the fire was reported at about 1 a.m. on the 11 block of Kilberry Lane. Responding firefighters did not see any smoke or fire upon arrival, but residents of the townhouse attached to the garage reported hearing “popping” from inside the garage and smelled smoke before alerting the fire department.

When firefighters opened the garage, they could see smoke. A sprinkler system in the structure had been activated, helping to prevent any significant fire damage to the building, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials believe contents in the garage sparked the fire. However, they don’t have reason to believe the blaze originated from any vehicle in the garage.

The garage was attached to an “end unit townhome,” and only the residents of that unit were displaced because of smoke damage to the residence, officials said.

No damage estimate was available.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Windsor, ON, Canada – Fire at residential building controlled thanks to fire sprinkler system

A fire at a multi-unit residential building downtown Windsor was quickly under control thanks to fire crews and the building’s sprinkler system.

Fire crews responded to the blaze at the Salvation Army on Church and Park Street West, according to AM800, smoke could be seen rising from the back of the building.

Attack efforts were underway by firefighters around 3:30 p.m. with crews reporting the flames were under control about 15 minutes later.

Windsor Fire and Rescue Service says the building’s sprinkler system “did a great job controlling fire spread.”

The fire was out by 4:40 p.m., crews were venting out the smoke and an invesitgator is attending to determine origin and damages.

Residential, Single Family Home

Napa, CA – Residential fire sprinklers stop kitchen fire after family dog accidentially turned on stove burner; No injuries reported

When Napa Fire responded to a report of white smoke coming from a residence in central Napa Thursday morning, firefighters were greeted with two surprising sights.

First: An automatic sprinkler had already put out the kitchen fire.

Second: The fire had most likely started when one of the family’s German shepherds “counter-surfed,” accidentally turning on a stove burner underneath a bag of groceries, Capt. Steve Becker said.

This wasn’t an unprecedented cause, Becker said. “Dogs counter-surfing have caused more than one fire,” he said.

The fire, reported at 8:40 a.m., was located in a residence on the D Street Alley.

Because the home was equipped with automatic sprinklers, the kitchen sustained minor damage, Becker said. No one was injured, he said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Richmond, VA – Apartment fire put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

The Richmond Fire Department reported a working fire at 800 N. Davis Avenue on Monday night. Firefighters responded to the scene where they found heavy smoke coming out of room 1006.

The building has a sprinkler system which extinguished the fire and RFD says the incident is now under control.

No one was hurt or killed during this fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Racine, WI – Sprinkler system extinguised wastebasket fire at apartment; No injuries reported

An automatic sprinkler, triggered by a wastebasket fire, caused extensive water damage to an apartment unit at 134 Main Street Wednesday evening.

The Racine Fire Department was called to the residence at 10:18 p.m.by an automatic sprinkler system water flow alarm. The sprinkler head had extinguished an accidental wastebasket fire in Apartment 210. There were no injuries.

However, the sprinkler caused an estimated $30,000 in damage to the ceiling, walls and contents of the downstairs unit, Apartment 110. Firefighters used tarps and other equipment to protect belongings in the apartment. Apartment 210, where the fire originated, sustained approximately $5,000 in minimal water damage and moderate smoke damage. The fire was determined to have been caused by discarding hot smoking materials in a wastebasket filled with tissue paper.

Apartment Building, Residential

Whiteville, NC – Fire sprinklers contain fire started by electric wheelchair

A lifesaving rescue was carried out by firefighters Saturday night. The Whiteville Fire Department was called out to the Covey Reserve Apartments and were able to save a man from dying.

Captain Kyle McDaniel was one of the firemen on the call.

“We searched each room and JD made contact with him and roused him up,” said McDaniel. “That’s when we realized we had a victim in the room.”

McDaniel said they weren’t able to see their hands in front of their face; that’s how much smoke had filled the apartment.

However, it could’ve been a lot worse if the sprinkler system didn’t go off.

“95-percent of the fire was out when we made entry,” said McDaniel.

The cause of the fire was an electric wheelchair. It belonged to Stacey Todd, who was asleep in the next room.

“Oh man, I tell you what. It’s a scary thing; it’s scary,” said Todd. “But things happen in life, sometimes you can’t help it.”

Todd says he lost everything in the fire, losses that come particularly hard this time of year with the holidays just around the corner.

But he is keeping his spirits up.

“I thank God; that’s all I know,” said Todd. “Because I didn’t know anything. I want to thank the fire department because if they wouldn’t have come, I wouldn’t be here.”

For Captain McDaniel, he says being able to save a life just gives him more reason to do what he loves.

And as for Stacey Todd he’s staying in a motel until he can find some place else to stay or his apartment gets restored.