Apartment Building, Residential Elko, NV – Apartment cooking fire extinguished by sprinkler system September 30, 2015 viking210 A cooking fire early Monday morning at the Villas at Riverside showed the importance of having a fire sprinkler system, according to the City of Elko fire department. Deputy Chief Brian Burgess said the resident had fallen asleep while waiting for food to be prepared. The fire caused the sprinkler system to activate. There was minor damage to the microwave, stove and upper cabinets, said Burgess. He said residents were evacuated for only an hour and the affected apartment was able to be occupied afterwards. It also had mild water damage. “Had this building been an unprotected building, the fire would have likely caused severe damage to the building, displacing all of the residents (and) threatening the lives of the occupants,” said Fire Marshal Joshua Carson, explaining the value and importance of the system. Even though there was mild fire and water damage, it was far less than what would have been seen in a building without that system, he said. In addition, he stressed how the system salvaged the property and protected the residents. They were alerted by a unit smoke alarm and fire alarm system. Carson explained this fire comes at a significant time. The Fire Prevention Picnic this past weekend showcased the dangers of cooking-related fires and the benefits of residential fire sprinklers. The latter was exhibited by a live fire demonstration at the picnic, said Carson. “Elko Fire Department is a huge advocate for residential fire sprinklers,” he said. “We hope we can soon protect all of our newly constructed residential use buildings with this lifesaving technology.”
