Category Archives: Residential

Residential, Residential High Rise

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at eight-story building

A water sprinkler doused a fire Friday afternoon at an eight-story building in downtown Fresno.

The Fresno Fire Department responded to the fire at 4:45 p.m. at Fulton and Amador streets with reports of a fire that started on the balcony, spokesman Jonathan Lopez said.

The sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire when crews arrived.

No one was displaced.

Lopez credited the Silvercrest Retirement Residence management for helping fire crews get to where the fire started and stressed the importance of having a working sprinkling system.

”This incident really highlights the importance of not having working smoke detectors, but especially in buildings like this working fire suppression,” he said. ”Sprinklers and self-closing doors really minimize the potential disaster that could happen in a high-rise building without these fire protection features.”

Five engines and two ladder trucks responded to the commercial fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Spring Hill, TN – Sprinkler system holds fire in check at early afternoon apartment fire

Spring Hill Fire Department responded to a reported apartment fire early Saturday afternoon.

The fire was contained to the balcony of the affected unit. Investigation found that discarded smoking materials in a flowerpot started the fire which spread to a plastic rocking chair.

Fire was held in check by the sprinkler system until SHFD Units arrived to complete the extinguishment.

No extension into the building or other hazards were found.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Spokane, WA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire assisted living facility

Three different fires in Spokane broke out on Mother’s Day keeping firefighters busy all day.

The first fire broke out at Fairview Assisted Living at 1617 North Calispel Street where firefighters discovered a resident intentionally setting fires.

The call came from five different alarm activations around 6:20 a.m. that activated their sprinkler system and stopped the fire from spreading further.

Residents inside the center were evacuated as firefighters quickly put out any additional flames.

There is a current investigation with the Spokane Police Department into the person responsible for intentionally setting the fire.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Lynchburg, VA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at nursing home

The Seven Hills Rehabilitation & Nursing facility in Lynchburg has been evacuated due to a fire on Friday night.

At around 7:45, Lynchburg Fire crews were dispatched to a reported structure fire at the facility in the 2000 block of Langhorne Road.

LFD says a fire had started in one of the rooms of the single-story structure and was being contained by the sprinkler system. Responding fire crews quickly finished extinguishing the blaze, but smoke from the fire spread and forced the evacuation of the rest of the facility.

Two residents were taken to Lynchburg General Hospital for treatment of minor smoke inhalation. There is no update on their condition yet.

LFD said there were over 70 patients who had to be evacuated during the ordeal.

Lynchburg Fire said that eventually all residents were allowed back inside, but five rooms are uninhabitable due to the fire and smoke damage.

Due to the potential size of the incident, LFD says Concord Rescue Squad was called in to fill Station 2 while several of Lynchburg’s medic units were tied up at the scene of the fire.

The Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

This story will be updated as more information is provided.

Other - Residential, Residential

Swift Current, SK, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at multi-tenant building

A small late-night fire yesterday at a multi-tenant building in Swift Current was tackled mostly by the building’s fire suppression system.

The Swift Current Fire Department was called into action at 8:30 p.m. as alarms were ringing on the 300 block of 2nd Avenue Northwest.

Fire crews arrived to evacuation already underway but assisted two occupants from the building to safety.

Light smoke was seen coming from the building with the sprinkler system activated.

“They’ve been shown time and time again that they’re effective and they really help contain a fire until we get there,” Swift Current Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Dean Diguer said.

Structural and content damage was noted but Diguer chalked that up mostly to water damage, not the fire itself.

The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Mackinac Island, MI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

Just before 2, the Fire Department was sent to the Stonecliffe Neighborhood for a report of an Apartment Fire.

The chief tells us a 2 story employee dorm was on fire after an incorrect use of an appliance.
The majority of the fire was knocked down by the sprinkler system.

Units cleared in 40 minutes.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Forest Hill, MD – Sprinkler system activated for microwave fire in condominium

A microwave started a fire at a condominium building in Harford County, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

A neighbor of the occupant heard a smoke alarm and later discovered the occupant inside her apartment with heavy smoke, fire officials said. Another neighbor assisted her out of the apartment.

Neighbors exited their units after the fire alarm sounded, according to fire officials. One fire sprinkler activated and contained the fire within and around the microwave in the unit with minimal fire damage.

Water damage affected two units, including the unit of origin and the unit directly below, fire officials said.

Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray stated, “Residential fire sprinklers are proven to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property and valuables. This is yet another example of how the presence of an automatic fire sprinkler system protected occupants and prevented substantial fire damage to residential property.”

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Highlands Ranch, CO – Sprinkler system activated for laundry fire at senior living facility; No injuries reported

At 16:50 on April 14th, 2024 South Metro Fire Emergency Communications Center dispatched South Metro Fire Rescue to reported smoke and flames visible form the laundry facility inside Vi at Highlands Ranch, located at 2850 Classic Dr. While crews were responding, an alarm company also notified dispatch of a water flow alarm. When Firefighters arrived, they found the alarm system activated with residents evacuating and no visible signs of smoke or fire from the exterior. Once inside, Firefighters discovered a laundry bin fire being controlled by the fire sprinkler system. Due to the large population of seniors who live in the building and might need extra assistance safely evacuating, a 2nd Alarm was called. The large response brought a total of 83 personnel from South Metro to the incident scene and nearby staging area. The fire was quickly extinguished and searches of all floors in the building were conducted to check for fire extension, smoke and occupants who might need help. The fire was contained to a small area, no injuries or smoke inhalation occurred. Fire Investigators determined the fire was accidental, related to normal laundry operations and the sprinkler system activated as it was designed to do. Additional information provided by South Metro Fire Rescue.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex

At 5:11 a.m., April 13th, Madison’s Fire Station Eight was dispatched to 4016 Nakoosa Trail for an activated fire alarm.

While the firefighters were en route, a 911 call came in, detailing smoke in the hallway, which elicited a full structure fire response.

Residents were evacuating the area when Engine 8 arrived at 5:17 a.m. One of the outside occupants stated that a fire had broken out in their unit. Upon investigation, the firefighters confirmed the fire was extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system.

The fire team shut down electricity to the apartment and assisted with water removal from the first-floor hallways. Three other units were affected by the water, though its occupants were not displaced.

The occupant of the fire unit was taken to the hospital, evaluated, and has since been released.

The apartment where the fire occurred is currently deemed uninhabitable, and the American Red Cross is assisting the displaced occupant.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Battle Creek, MI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex

A fire ravaged three apartments in Battle Creek Saturday night, though the Battle Creek Fire Department confirmed there were no injuries.

According to reports by WZZM 13, the fire broke out at around 10:20 p.m. at an apartment building located at 111 West Street.

Upon arrival, smoke was observed in the hallway of the building.

The department’s investigation led to the discovery of a blaze that originated from a vent fan in a first-floor apartment, firefighters had to remove drywall from the ceiling to tackle the inferno.

“Crews pulled drywall from the ceiling to access the fire and put it out,” detailed the report by WZZM 13. The fire managed to extend its reach to the second floor, prompting the activation of a sprinkler system.

All residents were reported safe and, while the fire itself was contained, the aftermath saw disruption for the residents.

As noted by FOX 17, the American Red Cross stepped in to assist those who were unable to return to their apartments following the incident.

The repercussions of controlling the blaze included collateral damage; the apartments sustained fire-related harm and the water supply had to be cut to facilitate repairs of a damaged sprinkler reported MLive. Although the intrepid response from fire personnel contained the situation, residents faced the inconvenience of water outage.

The cause behind the harrowing event was identified as an “electrical shortage,” yet investigations continue, the Battle Creek Fire Department told reporters. The exact number of individuals displaced by the catastrophe has not been provided, but the quick response of emergency services prevented any physical injuries from being sustained.