Category Archives: Townhouse / Condominium

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

La Crosse, WI – Fire sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at downtown condo; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system and fast-acting firefighters keep a fire in a downtown La Crosse condo unit from spreading further Monday morning.

The La Crosse Fire Department was called to the Gateway Terrace Condominiums at 100 North 6th Street at 9:18 a.m. after a fire alarm was reported.

Crews found smoke and fire in one of the units.

Battalion Chief Jeff Schott said the sprinkler system in the condo was working properly and is believed to have kept the fire from spreading to other units.

The condo itself had moderate smoke, fire, and water damage according to Chief Schott.

Other condos in the building were also damaged by the water from the sprinkler system.

No one was injured in the incident.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Sterling, VA – (no media coverage) Sprinkler system keeps townhome garage fire from spreading; No injuries reported

Automatic Sprinkler System in Sterling Townhouse Held Fire in Check as Firefighters Responded

Loudoun County Fire Official’s credit a Sterling townhome’s automatic fire sprinkler system with preventing a garage fire from spreading further before first responders arrived.

On Thursday, January 16, 2020, fire and rescue units from Cascades, Sterling Park, Kincora, Ashburn, and Fairfax County, along with various command staff officers, responded to a report of a car on fire in the garage of a home in the 46,000 block of Pryor Square in Sterling.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find a three-story, end-unit townhouse with a car on fire in the garage and the residents safely outside the home. Fire crews quickly extinguished the remaining fire that was being controlled by the automatic fire sprinkler system. Fortunately for the residents and neighbors, the fire and subsequent damages were contained to the vehicle and the garage with no fire extending to the remaining portions of the townhome. No other dwellings were affected and there were no reported injuries to citizens or first responders.

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that it was an accidental fire, originating in the engine compartment of the vehicle. Damages to the vehicle and home are estimated at $20,000.
“If the sprinkler heads had not been in place and operated as designed, this fire could have been significantly more severe,” said System Chief Keith Johnson. “This incident is a prime example of the positive impact of automatic sprinkler systems in residential homes. The sprinkler activation kept the fire under control until firefighters could get on scene and damages to the home were directly minimized.” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue officials remain strong advocates of automatic fire sprinkler systems and their safety benefits. To learn more about fire prevention activities and education in Loudoun County, visit http://www.loudoun.gov/firemarshal or call 703-737-8600.

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Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Guelph, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system stops fire from spreading after 3D printer catches on fire at condo

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A 3D printer caused a fire at a Guelph condo building, leading to water damage for several units and displacing tenants, according to the Guelph Fire Department.

Police got the call just after 11 p.m. on Thursday.

The fire and smoke were coming from a bedroom on the fifth floor at 1291 Gordon Street. That’s where a 3D printer had overheated and started the fire, police said. 

“It was determined 100 per cent the 3D printer was the source. It’s the only ignition source in the room,” said Ian Hickey, fire prevention officer with the Guelph fire department.

The building was evacuated, the fire was extinguished quickly, but the sprinkler system caused water damage for all units below, including on the ground level, according to police.

A number of tenants were displaced because of the water damage. Guelph Hydro-Alectra arrived on the scene because of the water’s impact on the electrical system, police said.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Park Ridge, IL – Single sprinkler head limits damage to condo; No injuries reported

Installation of sprinkler systems made a significant difference in containing a fire last weekend in a multi-family building at the Park Ridge Pointe subdivision, Park Ridge Fire Chief Jeff Sorensen says.

A fire alarm activated at 1705 Pavilion Way at 11:33 p.m. Friday (Sept. 6) and as Park Ridge firefighters responded, the RED Center was receiving calls of smoke in the ground level parking garage and on the third floor of the building.

One company, checking the garage, found a burning odor and water leaking through the ceiling.

Other companies went to the second floor and entered the residential unit above the garage ceiling leak. Inside there was a burning odor and smoky haze, Sorensen said, but there was no fire there or any active sprinkler heads releasing water.

The unit next door had water, and they found a bathroom fire there had been extinguished.

“The fire sprinkler system had activated (only one sprinkler head) and had prevented the fire from spreading throughout the structure,” Sorensen said. “Most importantly, no residents or fire personnel were injured.

“The successful activation of a fire sprinkler system limited the damage to the structure and its contents,” he added.

“While the fire sprinklers are designed with fire safety in mind, they typically use a fraction of the water that fire hoses do in order to contain a fire, thus protecting property as well. Since 2001, fire sprinklers have been a requirement in all new construction in Park Ridge, including single-family homes,” Sorensen added.

For information on residential fire sprinklers, visit the website www.firesprinklerassoc.org.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Yuma, AZ – Condominium garage fire kept from spreading by fire sprinkler head; No injuries reported

On Wednesday August 28, 2019, at about 4:50 am, smoke was reported in a garage at a residence in the Eldorado Condominiums, 2239 South 35th Avenue. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived to find a sprinkler head had activated in the garage and water was flowing. The water flow was stopped and it was found that a fire appeared to have been extinguished. Firefighters confirmed the fire was out and had not spread.

Firefighters located the area in the garage where the fire had originated and found what was left of a radio controlled car. The car was on an office type chair and had been left charging. Damage was limited to the radio controlled car and the chair. The chair had been directly under the sprinkler head and would have activated early in the fire. The homeowner had been home at the time the fire occurred and was able to reoccupy the residence. There were no injuries.

Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fires spread quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex. Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Whitman, MA – (no media coverage) Sprinkler system extinguishes garage fire caused by cigarette

Chief Timothy J. Grenno reports that the Whitman Fire Department
extinguished a fire inside a condominium garage Monday morning.

At approximately 11:10 a.m., Whitman firefighters were dispatched to 877 Auburnville Way, inside the Village at Auburnville community for residents age 55 and older.

Upon arrival firefighters located a fire inside of the garage with the sprinkler system suppressing the flames and keeping the fire from spreading rapidly throughout the building.

Firefighters quickly used a hose line to extinguish the fire and overhauled the area to ensure that the flames had not spread elsewhere.

A female resident, who is wheelchair bound, had been evacuated by her home health aide to the first floor porch and was then moved from the porch away from the home by bystanders and responding firefighters. The woman was uninjured but was evaluated by a Halifax Fire ambulance crew on scene as a precaution.

The fire and smoke caused approximately $50,000 in damage to the garage. The home itself had minimal smoke and odor damage.

The resident will be able to return to her home once the fire alarm and sprinkler system is repaired, which is expected to be done today.


The incident was the second fire that Whitman firefighters responded to recently in which a sprinkler system helped to prevent potentially devastating damage. On July 24, the department extinguished a fire at the Bostonian Loft Apartments, 7 Marble St.


“The unit where this fire occurred was one of four attached condos in same building,” Chief Grenno said. “If it weren’t for the sprinkler system suppressing the fire until we arrived, the fire could have spread far more quickly and done a lot more damage. This is the second fire we’ve had in less than a month where a sprinkler system helped to keep a fire at bay until firefighters could arrive on scene. Having a properly functioning and regularly maintained sprinkler system can and does save lives.”


The fire was caused by careless disposal of a cigarette into a trash barrel in the garage.

View full press release here

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lawrenceburg, IN – Fire sprinkler system keeps balcony fire to a minimum

A fire broke out at a Lawrenceburg condominium building Monday morning.

The fire was reported at 304 West Wind Lane at Riviera Condominiums at 5:05 a.m. Police arrived at the scene first and found fire visible on the second floor of an exterior balcony.

Lawrenceburg Fire Department Chief Johnnie Tremain said the fire’s spread was held at bay by an exterior sprinkler. Firefighters came and knocked down the remaining fire.

All residents of the complex were safely evacuated. Nobody was hurt, Tremain said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Lawrenceburg Fire Department was assisted at the scene by Lawrenceburg EMS, Lawrenceburg Police, and Greendale Fire Department.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Madison, WI – Overnight fire caused by electric bike controlled by fire sprinklers

A fire that broke out in a garage overnight was contained by an automatic fire sprinkler until firefighters arrived to bring the fire to a complete stop.

Engine Company 14 and other fire companies were dispatched to a condominium complex on Catalina Parkway just after midnight. One resident greeted firefighters and advised that an electric bike was on fire in the garage. The remainder of the building was evacuated as firefighters proceeded to the basement. They found the sprinkler system had the fire under control, and only a small amount of smoke had entered the living space within the complex. Crews extinguished the remaining fire and stopped the automatic sprinkler system.

Investigation determined the homeowner had left the e-bike on a charger for the night, the battery on the bike started on fire, which activated the sprinkler system. Fire damage was isolated to the bike, with slight damage to a workbench nearby.

The owner advised that the electric portion of the e-bike was an aftermarket kit they had purchased on eBay.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lake Delton, WI – Automatic sprinkler system completely puts out fire at Kalahari condo; No injuries reported

Authorities say no one was hurt after a kitchen fire started inside a resort condo unit.

According to Delton Fire Department, firefighters found the Kalahari Resort condo full of smoke when they arrived around 6 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone had gotten out safely.

Fire officials say automatic sprinklers were able to put the fire out completely. Firefighters used fans to remove smoke and helped clean up the water.

A teenager left the room while cooking on the stove and forgot to turn the burner off, according to investigators.

Someone else inside the condo woke up to flames in the kitchen and saw the sprinklers turn on right away. Officials describe it as a volatile grease fire.

The condos had to be evacuated for about 45 minutes but the Kalahari is still open for business.

In a Facebook post Sunday night, fire officials say this incident is an example of the importance of functioning sprinkler systems.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Frisco, CO – Condo fire quickly put out with help of fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Six residents have been displaced following a structure fire at a condo complex in Frisco on Friday morning, according to Summit Fire & EMS.

Summit Fire chief Jeff Berino said that a structure fire broke out on the 500 block of Galena Street in Frisco at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday. About 24 firefighters from both Summit Fire and the Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District responded to the incident. The blaze was put out quickly by the firefighters, with help from the building’s sprinkler system, and crews cleared the scene by 12:45 p.m.

Berino said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation, though it has been determined that there was no criminal involvement. One unit suffered moderate smoke and fire damage, and two other units suffered smoke and water damage. No injuries were reported.