Apartment Building, Residential

Sprinkler system limits fire damage to apartment garbage can (Bend, OR)

Tenants reported smoke and fire in the garage of a unit of the four-plex, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said. The building is equipped with a fire sprinkler system, and the garage fire was put out by a sprinkler head activation in the garage, Derlacki said. The fire was caused by a cigarette improperly discarded into a trash can that had paper in it, Derlacki said. The cigarette ignited the paper and spread to the shelf.

But thanks to the sprinkler, damage was limited to the garbage can and adjacent shelving unit, Derlacki said, estimating losses at just $500 to the building and $50 to contents. “Without the sprinkler system, this fire could have easily displaced the four families living in the building,” he said in a news release. Instead, he said, “All tenants of the building will be able to stay in their homes tonight.”

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Sprinkler system puts out fire at middle school, 1,300 students and 80 staff evacuate safely (Temple, AZ)

A fire at Tempe’s Kyrene Middle School caused the evacuation of about 1,300 students and 80 staff members on Thursday morning. A teacher noticed smoke coming out of a classroom at the school moments before the sprinkler system was activated and the fire was put out. The fire was caused by an electrical motor failure in the skylight system. One student complained about breathing problems, but no other injuries were reported, according to the city of Tempe.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Sprinkler system doused refrigerator fire at the University of Texas chemistry building (Austin, TX)

Crews were called to Welch Hall on the University of Texas campus shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday. By the time they arrived, Lieutenant Jim Baker with AFD said sprinklers had already doused the flames of a refrigerator on fire. Since the refrigerator housed dangerous chemicals, the call was upgraded to a hazardous materials fire.

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