Category Archives: Townhouse / Condominium

Lexington Park, MD – Townhouse fire caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials put out by sprinkler system

What authorities are calling “carelessly discarded smoking materials” sparked a fire in a St. Mary’s County home early Sunday morning, Dec. 28.  The home’s sprinkler system activated quickly and extinguished the fire. 

According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the blaze occurred at a two-story, middle unit townhouse on F. Radford Lane in Lexington Park and was reported shortly after 7 a.m.

“No one was home at the time of the fire,” stated Dfm. Caryn McMahon. “A neighbor smelled the odor of smoke and called 911. The fire originated in a small trashcan in the upstairs bedroom. The family has been temporarily displaced and is being assisted by the American Red Cross.”

Fifteen firefighters from Bay District and Patuxent Naval Air Station were dispatched to the one-alarm blaze. No injuries were reported.

Langley, BC, Canada – Sprinker system credited with containing townhouse kitchen fire

 fire that started on the stove of a Walnut Grove townhouse on Thursday might have done far more damage than it did, if not for the presence of a working sprinkler system.

Pat Walker, assistant fire chief with the Township of Langley said the blaze started after a pot used to sterilize rubber nipples for baby bottles was accidentally left heating on the stove when the family went out.

“They left the house and thought they had turned (the burner) off, but it boiled dry,” said Walker. Eventually the nipples caught fire and ignited plastic components inside the stove’s hood.

The flames had also melted a cabinet door and a plastic kettle on the counter before being doused. “It would have been a totally different scenario without the sprinkler,” said Walker.

Forestdale, MA – Sprinkler system puts out condominium fire

The Sandwich Fire Chief William Carrico is stressing the importance of residential sprinkler systems after a condominium was saved last night.  Crews arrived at the condo at 14 Brightside Lane in Forestdale just after 7:30 p.m. to find the fire had already been put out. The fire which started in the kitchen was confined to the stove top and was extinguished by the sprinkler system.  Carrico said if it were not for the sprinkler system, there would have been significant fire and smoke damage.

Salisbury, MD – Townhouse fire contained to one room by residential sprinkler system

An electrical failure in an HVAC system is being blamed for a fire at a Salisbury townhouse Wednesday, the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said.  Deputy state fire marshals responded to 1733 Woodbrooke Drive in Salisbury at about 12:50 p.m. for a fire contained to a living room by a residential fire sprinkler.

A fire sprinkler head quickly activated near the small blaze and contained the fire, while protecting the remainder of the home and contents.  The home will remain unoccupied temporarily while maintenance personnel make minor repairs and clean-up from the incident.  There were no injuries.

Sprinklers assist firefighters at condominium fire (Bath Township, OH)

Fire crews responded to a fire alarm call on Friday morning at a manufacturing plant and found heavy smoke on the ground floor as well as the roof of the building. The fire sprinkler system activated and contained the fire; fire crews were able to put out the fire within 30 minutes. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and all personnel evacuated the premises safely.

Condominium complex fire eliminated by sprinkler (Charleston, SC)

Fire sprinklers put out a fire in a condominium complex on Thursday night. The fire began in the kitchen when the tenant left something cooking on the stove unattended; firefighters were called to the scene at 10:06 p.m. When they entered the premises, they reported that the fire had already been eliminated by the building’s fire sprinkler system. 


Condominium fire squelched thanks to fire sprinklers (Hampton, NH)

A four-story condominium caught fire on Monday morning on one of the unit’s enclosed porches. Investigators believe that the fire began around or above an exterior light on the underside of a second story porch. The heat from the fire activated the condominium’s fire sprinkler system, which Hampton Fire Chief reported helped to contain the fire to the porch area. No injuries were reported.

Christmas tree fire extinguished by sprinkler system (North Vancouver, BC)

Firefighters responded to a call around 6:20 p.m. Thursday after a Christmas tree caught on fire in a townhome. “Luckily the townhouse unit has a sprinkler system in the building,” said Dan Pistilli, fire chief at the City of North Vancouver fire department. The tree ignited when the homeowner lit a sparkler for their young child and got too close to the tree.  Pistilli said the situation could have been much worse. “If the unit did not have a sprinkler system it would have been a different result,” he said.