Category Archives: Residential

Apartment Building, Residential

South Burlington, VT – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment garage; No injuries reported

A car fire inside a South Burlington garage on Monday afternoon closed down a road and forced residents to evacuate an apartment complex.

The call came around 1 p.m. after fire officials were notified the sprinkler and alarm system were activated in the lower level garage at the O’Dell Apartments off Farrell Street.

It’s not clear what started the fire but smoke rose into the upper levels of the building, which forced people out for several hours.

“Obviously, since it’s chilly out, people don’t necessarily want to leave, so it took a little bit of work with help from our police officers to get everyone out of the building,” South Burlington Deputy Fire Chief Chris Corbin said.

Officials say no one was injured and the road has since reopened.

Other - Residential, Residential

Fresno, CA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at two-story residential facility

Several dozen people had to be evacuated from a two-story residential facility due to a fire in southwest Fresno Wednesday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Fire crews say they responded to M.L.K. Jr. Blvd and Annadale Avenue for a small fire on the first floor, which was quickly extinguished by the sprinkler system. The facility had extensive water damage and many of the occupants were temporarily displaced.

Fire officials say one person was transported to a local hospital with smoke inhalation. Fire investigators say an oxygen generator may have been the cause of the fire.

Apartment Building, Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Gainesville, FL – Sprinkler system activated for two separate residential fires

Early this morning, Monday, March 4, 2024, Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) firefighters were called for two working building fires back to back.

Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the area of 6000 NW 26th Street, just before 6:04 a.m.  Firefighters arrived on scene in just under five minutes and immediately began extinguishing the fire and searching for victims. The 27 firefighters who responded had the fire extinguished within 4 minutes of arrival. Building damage was limited mostly to the apartment of origin. Damage to an adjacent apartment was minimal. No civilian or firefighter injuries resulted from this fire. Two neighbors were displaced. The fire is under investigation.

While firefighters were finishing up at the first fire, a second multi-family residential building fire was reported at 6:23 a.m. near the 3000 block of NE 28th Drive (GRACE Marketplace). Firefighters arrived on scene in six minutes to find the building full of smoke and immediately began efforts to locate the fire and search for victims.

Prior to the arrival of firefighters, the building’s fire sprinkler system controlled fire growth, allowing occupants time to escape and limiting building damage. The 27 firefighters who responded completed extinguishing the fire within 10 minutes of arrival. The fire caused minimal damage to the building. One civilian suffered a very minor injury, and no firefighter injuries were reported. Ten neighbors were displaced.

The fire appears to have been caused by several charging battery packs.  Fires caused by batteries and battery chargers are a growing problem. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you avoid charging a device under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch, and do not keep charging the device or battery once it is fully charged.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential, School / University

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire on university campus

The Madison Fire Department reported an automatic sprinkler prevented further damage to a building on UW-Madison’s campus overnight.

Spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said firefighters were dispatched to 30 East Campus Mall at 12:33 a.m. for a fire alarm activation. Schuster said no one was around to report the fire to 911.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met by members of the UW-Madison Police Department and UW Security.

The crew entered the building and noticed an odor of smoke. The odor was followed to a wood workshop, where the crew found the room full of smoke and an automatic fire sprinkler activated.

Beneath the active sprinkler was a burned-up garbage can and its contents on the floor. Just one sprinkler head activated, but it extinguished the fire and prevented the fire from spreading, according to Schuster.

Damage from the fire is estimated at about $2,000. Damage was contained to some paint cans, a portable electric sander, cabinets and other items.

Firefighters moved the burned items outside, ventilated the area, and turned off the fire sprinkler system.

With the sprinkler systems temporarily shut down, UW Security provided fire watch until a responsible party returned to the building.

Other - Residential, Residential

Berkeley, CA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at supportive housing facility

A fire broke out at the Hope Center in downtown Berkeley when a lithium-ion battery overheated Monday night, authorities report.

Battalion Chief Brian Harryman of the Berkeley Fire Department credited the Hope Center’s fire sprinkler system with putting out the blaze before it spread.

“It probably saved the whole building,” he said.

The Hope Center, which opened in 2022 on the site of a former city parking lot, has 53 supportive housing units while Berkeley Way Apartments, part of the same complex, has 89 affordable units and services for low-income families.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Hope Center, at 2012 Berkeley Way, just before 8:30 p.m. Monday for a report of smoke on the third floor.

“We’re getting reports of somebody blowing up their room, unknown what that means,” a dispatcher told the Berkeley Fire Department as the call came in.

Thanks to proximity, Berkeley firefighters arrived at the Hope Center in under a minute, Harryman said: BFD’s Station 2 is just across the street about 100 feet away.

Inside the apartment, firefighters found scooters and lithium-ion batteries that had been charging unattended.

The fire was out quickly thanks to the sprinkler system, but the water caused “considerable damage” to the apartment where the batteries were charging.

Several adjacent units saw minimal damage due to water that got in beneath the doors.

Firefighters had to manually turn off the sprinklers to control the flow.

“There’s a considerable amount of water damage,” a firefighter said over the radio just before 8:40 p.m., adding: “We’re going to need squeegees and manpower.”

All of the residents were able to return to their rooms aside from the unit where the fire happened.

Fortunately, Harryman said, a friend in the building offered that resident a place to stay.

“We checked around and all the shelters were full. All the hotels were full,” he said. “We really didn’t have a place to send him.”

Harryman noted that some of the scooter rental companies pay people to charge lithium-ion batteries for them. But he said he did not know if that had been the case on Berkeley Way.

BFD strongly discourages anyone from charging lithium-ion batteries inside their homes, he added. Even outside, they should not be left unattended.

“Don’t plug them in and leave for the day or leave them for the weekend,” he said. “These things are overcharging, heating up and causing fires. If you are going to charge it, remain home with it and don’t charge it inside.”

Last year, the city of Berkeley announced in June that six recent fires had been caused by unattended lithium battery charging.

“These local battery fires — involving e-skateboards, e-scooters, and at least one e-bike — have also been seen around the region and nation,” the city wrote.

The city also noted that fires could “occur spontaneously while charging” and advised anyone noticing signs of fire, such as smoke, gas and sparks, to evacuate the area and immediately call 911.

Lithium battery safety tips from the city of Berkeley:

  • Only use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries and replacements
  • Charge only until the battery is full, then disconnect
  • Keep the battery away from heat, cold and flammable items while charging and storing
  • Discard distressed batteries (those that are swollen, dented or otherwise damaged) at a drop-off site — not in your garbage can

Learn more from the city of Berkeley about fire risks related to lithium-ion batteries.

Other - Residential, Residential

Elyria, OH – Sprinkler system activated for fire at group home

A working sprinkler system prevented a group home from being severely damaged in a weekend fire, according to Elyria firefighters.

When crews arrived on Academy Court Saturday, they said the main body of the fire had already been extinguished.

Firefighters helped get the smoke from the building and also assisted with water removal, which eliminated further damage, said firefighters.

The cause remains under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Athens, OH – Sprinkler system contains fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

Athens Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming from Beasley Mills Apartments on 93 W. Union St., Saturday afternoon. 

According to AFD’s Instagram post, black smoke was coming from a window on the fourth floor, and they quickly found one of the apartments on fire. They also received reports of occupants unable to exit on the second floor.

Many residents were displaced by the damage of the fire.

AFD and the help of the sprinkler system contained the fire before it spread, and they got the tenants out of the building, along with a cat and a dog; no injuries were reported to the occupants or firefighters.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Fire crews were called to an apartment building on Madison’s West side for the report of fire alarms sounding and a smoke odor in the hallway. Fire crews found a fire sprinkler had extinguished a kitchen fire in an apartment. Firefighters worked to ventilate the smoke odor, and the investigation is ongoing. No one was home at the time of the fire, and the American Red Cross was called in to assist displaced residents.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bend, OR – Apartment patio fire extinguished by a single sprinkler head activation

An apartment patio fire in southwest Bend Saturday night was put out and stopped from spreading inside by a single activated fire sprinkler, officials said.

Bend Fire & Rescue responded around 10:15 p.m. to the reported fire on a first-floor patio at the Stillwater Crossing apartment complex on SW Atwood Drive (near Highway 97 and Ponderosa Street), Battalion Chief Scott Wyman said.

Two fire engines, a medic unit, a ladder truck and a command vehicle went to the scene, where residents of the apartment building had evacuated.

The first engine crew to arrive found a smoldering fire that already had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler, Wyman said.

Firefighters confirmed the fire was fully out and shut down the sprinkler system. Wyman said all residents were able to return to their apartments.

Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said, “This was an exterior fire that was held in place, held in check by an exterior sprinkler.”

“Commonly, when we see fires that start on an exterior side of a building, they can go up the siding into the eaves and spread into the attic space and turn into a very large and challenging fire,” Kettering said.

But in this case, she said, “There were fire sprinklers in this building. That single one sprinkler head activated and basically extinguished the fire before we even arrived on scene.”

An investigation determined the fire’s likely cause was improper disposal of cigarette smoking material, Wyman said.

Damage was limited to $2,000 worth of contents and minor damage to the structure.

“The sprinkler system prevented significant loss to the structure and displacement of multiple occupants,” the battalion chief said in a news release.

“National data show that the presence of fire sprinklers in residences drastically reduces the fire damage and potential for loss of life,” Wyman added.

Apartment Building, Residential

Everett, WA – Sprinkler system activated for lithium-ion battery fire at apartment complex

On February 14th at 11:10pm the Everett Fire Department responded to an apartment fire at Housing Hope’s New Century Apartments at 2507 Howard Avenue. Thanks to smoke alarms and a sprinkler system, the fire didn’t spread beyond the occupant’s bedroom.

Here’s what the Everett Fire Department reported:

The apartment occupants reported hearing a loud pop, followed by the activation of the smoke alarm.

The residents found a fire in the bedroom and attempted to extinguish it with a fire extinguisher before the sprinkler system activated.

Firefighters arrived within minutes of the call and found the apartment’s sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire, preventing it from spreading. The fire was contained in the apartment’s bedroom, and the second and third floors suffered water damage.

The Everett Fire Marshal’s Office investigated and concluded that lithium-ion batteries in the home likely caused the fire. They have ruled the fire as accidental.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used to power various devices such as smartphones, laptops, power banks, tablets, toys, e-cigarettes, smoke alarms, scooters, and vehicles. Since these batteries store a significant amount of energy, it is crucial to handle them with care. They can overheat, catch fire, or even explode if not treated properly. It is important to follow the recommended safety measures when using them. Everett Fire urges everyone to be cautious while handling lithium-ion batteries.

Here are some safety tips when using lithium-ion batteries:

  • Only purchase and use devices, batteries, and charging equipment that are listed by a nationally recognized testing lab and labeled accordingly.
  • Use charging equipment that is only compatible with your device. To be safe, use only the charging equipment that is supplied with your device.
  • Do not keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged.
  • Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash. Recycling is always the best option. Take the batteries to a battery recycling location or contact your local waste department for disposal instructions.
  • Stop using your device if the battery shows signs of damage, such as an unusual odor, excessive heat, popping sounds, swelling, or change in color.
  • Only have device repairs performed by a qualified professional.
  • Larger batteries and equipment such as power tools and electric scooters should be charged in the garage, shed or carport away from living spaces.
  • Don’t charge or store battery devices near exits or along egress paths where they might hinder or block your escape should they catch fire or become involved in one.

For more information on lithium battery safety, visit the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.org) website.

This incident serves as a good reminder to have working smoke alarms in your home. They are the first line of defense for early notification and evacuation should there be a fire.

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