Category Archives: Townhouse / Condominium

Residential High Rise, Townhouse / Condominium

Highland Beach, FL – Fire at oceanfront high-rise condominium building controlled with help from sprinkler system

Delray Beach Fire Rescue was called to an oceanfront Highland Beach high-rise condominium last Sunday afternoon when a fire started in a fourth-floor unit. No one was injured in the fire, according to Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Kevin Saxton.

“The fire is out, but there is significant water damage to the building because of the sprinkler activation and our suppression effort,” Saxton said. Saxton said he did not yet know what started the fire in the unit at the Wiltshire House Condominiums, 2909 South Ocean Blvd. The call alerting the fire was made at about 3:45 p.m.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

South Portland, ME – Sprinkler system prevents fire from spreading in condominium complex

Officials with the South Portland Fire Department said no one was hurt after a fire broke out at a condominium complex. The call came in at 12:41 a.m. for a working structure fire.  It happened at Ferry Village Landing condos located at 215 High Street in South Portland.

Authorities said two of the building’s 15 units were damaged. The fire is believed to have started in the walls of one unit and continued up to the attic.  Officials said the activation of the sprinkler system contained the working fire from spreading to other units.

The Red Cross is assisting in the relocation of occupants of one of the units and others are staying with family and friends. Officials said the fire is not considered suspicious, but an official cause is still under investigation.

Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and Westbrook fire departments assisted in station coverage and mutual aid.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Lawrence, NJ – Laundry fire at condominium complex doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Police are investigating a fire that broke out early Saturday in the laundry room of a condominium complex, according to the fire department.   Firefighters responded to the complex on Town Court South around 1:30 a.m. Saturday after getting a call about a fire in the laundry room, Lawrence Fire Chief Gary Wasko said.

When they arrived they found that everyone had evacuated the room and that the sprinkler system had extinguished much of the fire. They had the rest of the fire under control almost immediately and worked to deal with the smoke removal for a long time after that, Wasko said.  

The investigation into how the fire started was turned over to Lawrence police, who were not immediately available for contact Saturday evening.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Winston-Salem, NC – Overnight condominium fire extinguished by sprinkler system; Unattended cooking identified as cause

A stove fire Tuesday displaced five people in three condominium units at Ivy Glen Court in the southwestern part of the city, the Winston-Salem Fire Department said. A water flow alarm was received Tuesday from 333 Ivy Glen Court at about 11:30 p.m. On the way, firefighters learned that a fire on the stove had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

On arrival, firefighters discovered minor damage amounting to $1,200 to the structure and $600 to contents. The sprinkler system was shut off to prevent further damage. Power to three units affected by the water from the sprinkler was cut off. The fire department said those displaced are staying with friends and relatives.  The cause of the fire was unattended cooking, the fire department said

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Triangle, VA – Townhouse fire put out by automatic sprinkler system; No injuries

On Sunday, November 22nd, at approximately 9:30 p.m., fire and rescue crews were dispatched to a townhouse fire located in the 4100 block of Potomac Highlands Circle in Triangle.

Upon arrival, fire and rescue units observed light smoke throughout the residence and activation of the sprinkler system that had suppressed and extinguished a fire within the garage area. PWL Firefighters searched for further extension; no further extension was found.  No injuries reported.

Preliminary damages are estimated at $2500; damages would have been considerably higher if not for activation of the sprinkler system which quickly controlled, contained and extinguished the fire.

According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, the area of origin was the garage; the cause improper disposal of charcoal bricks and has been determined accidental.

Prince William County Fire & Rescue Chief Kevin McGee would like to remind residents when disposing of fire pit/fireplace bricks/ashes keep these safety tips in mind:

In addition, Chief McGee would like to remind residents that smoke alarms save lives www.pwcgov.org/SmokeAlarms and when a home contains both working smoke alarms and a home fire-sprinkler system www.pwcgov.org/Sprinklers, you increase your chances of surviving a fire by 82%.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Branson, MO – Balcony fire at condominium building contained by sprinkler system

The Branson Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire last Friday morning. According to a press release, reports stated that heavy black smoke was coming from the back side of one of the Vineyard Condominiums located off Missouri 376.

“Upon investigation we discovered a fire had started on the wood deck material and extended up the railing and exterior wall,” Fire Captain Scott Cizek said. “Our crews discovered one fire sprinkler head above the deck had contained the fire.”

The fire sprinkler activated automatically, which initiated the fire alarm where occupants evacuated the building. The probable cause of the fire could have been due to cigarettes not being fully put out according to the press release.

“Upon investigation it was discovered the fire had smoldered for quite some time causing deep charring on part of the wood deck and railing. We could not rule out cigarette smoking material as a possible cause,” Division Chief Randy Fogle said.

The press release stated that “firefighters encourage those using cigarette materials to properly extinguish cigarettes and place them in fire-resistant containers.”

According to Fire Chief Ted Martin, lit cigarette fires often occur on these types of properties.

“Unfortunately in multi-family dwelling properties such as condos and apartments, we see a lot of cigarettes tossed over balcony railings to the ground level, accidentally dropped between the decking materials, or discarded inappropriately in containers as simple as plastic planter pots,” Martin said.

The press release did not mention any injuries or people harmed.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Hagerstown, MD – Single sprinkler extinguishes residential kitchen fire

No one was injured during a minor kitchen fire Thursday afternoon on Hagerstown’s North End, according to City Fire Marshal Doug DeHaven.

The fire was reported at 1:30 p.m. in the 17600 block of Potter Bell Way in the Hager’s Crossing development, DeHaven said in a news release.

 He said a single sprinkler head from the home’s quick-response sprinkler system extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters ventilated smoke from the home, and all of the units were cleared by 2:30 p.m., DeHaven said.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Tampa, FL – Condo fire extinguished by sprinkler system; Lightning strike possible cause

A fire that may have been sparked by a lightning strike was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler system at a condominium complex at 4115 Chatham Oak Court, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said Sunday. Residents said they thought they smelled something burning after the lightning strike on the roof of the complex late Saturday, but they could not locate a fire, according to fire officials.

But a small blaze smoldered in the roof before it burned through the ceiling of unit 222 some time later, fire officials said. No injuries were reported. The American Red Cross helped families find temporary housing. Fire officials did not say how many families were affected nor provide the time of the blaze.

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Grande Prairie, AB, Canada – Condominium fire confined to one suite by sprinkler system

On Sunday, the Grande Prairie Fire Department (GPFD) responded to reports of a fire at Grande Plaza Condos on 92 Avenue, near Resources Road.

Firefighters found the alarm system indicating a sprinkler activation on the first floor and then discovered a fire in one of the suites. Tony Lutzmann, the platoon chief on duty, said a heat-activated sprinkler in the suite went off and controlled the fire.

“In this case, obviously, there was a large enough fire that there was enough heat to set a sprinkler head off,” he said. The fire was confined to one suite, which sustained smoke and water damage. “Basically, it’s what we call a room and contents fire,” said Lutzmann.

“It didn’t spread beyond the suite of origin and that’s what exactly what a sprinkler system is designed to do, is to catch a fire in its early stages and prevent it spreading into a larger, more serious fire.”

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

Woodbridge, VA – Sprinklers contain fire in townhouse occupied by two adults and five children

Two adults and five children are safe after a townhouse fire Sunday evening in Woodbridge, Va., officials said. The fire happened around 7 p.m. in the 2700 block of Corbin Court, Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department said. Crews found a kitchen fire contained by the home’s sprinkler system when they got to the home. Residents inside of the home were safely evacuated, officials added.

The Red Cross is helping two adults and five children who were all displaced by the fire. Damages as of now are estimated at $10,000. Officials said the reduction in damages is due to the quick activation of the sprinkler system inside of the home. The fire remains under investigation.