Tag Archives: Arizona

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Phoenix, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes 10th floor fire in university dorm

Students living in the Taylor Place Residential Community on the Downtown Phoenix campus woke up to an alarm and sprinklers early Saturday morning after a fire broke out in one of the dorm rooms on the 10th floor of tower one.

The fire was caused by an electrical surge in the dorm room, which activated the water sprinkler system, according to an emailed statement from University spokesperson, Jerry Gonzalez. All residents were told to evacuate the towers and wait outside until it was safe to return.

The sprinklers “promptly extinguished the fire” and all residents evacuated the building safely, Gonzalez said.

Mary Neale, a freshman studying sports journalism who lives on the 11th floor, said she heard people running down the hallways knocking on doors, alerting residents to evacuate. Neale said students rushed down the stairs and waited outside Taylor Place while the authorities cleared the fire.

Due to flooding caused by the sprinklers, students living on the 10th floor have been relocated to the Downtown Phoenix Hampton Inn until their rooms have been completely restored. Gonzalez said in the statement there are about 30 students staying in the off-campus lodging. While there is no exact timeline for when students will be able to return to their rooms, University housing will notify them when the rooms are ready.

Gonzalez said the University is currently drying the impacted rooms and will be working with other students who were affected by the water sprinklers and will help them replace items that were damaged.

Michael and Anthony Yero, both freshman sports journalism students, were the occupants of the room that caught on fire. Michael Yero said authorities told him that his electrical razor was plugged into an outlet and caused a surge. One of the sparks fell onto a towel, which ignited and spread to his laundry.

“Its been a couple of days just figuring out what I can do and managing school and work at the same time,” Michael Yero said. “It’s been a busy couple of days trying to get back to normal.”

Michael Yero said the fire from the surge and water from the sprinklers damaged much of his and his brother’s belongings including a laptop, camera, camera lenses and clothes. But even with the damages and having to move, Michael said that throughout the experience he and his brother have “tried to look at the good side of things.”

He said that even when they learned it was their room that was affected by the fire, they were and continue to get through by supporting each other and doing what they can do to move forward. 

“When we first heard it was our room we looked at each other and we said that we are there for each other and have each others’ backs,” Michael said. “We’re supportive of each other throughout the whole way.”

According to Michael Yero, the University provided him and his brother gift cards for essentials and will provide a stipend to replace their damaged items. He said that despite not being in his dorm, living in the Hampton Inn has been a “great time” and it has provided him the opportunity to spend more time with his friends.

“ASU has been been very helpful,” Michael Yero said. “(The University) team did a great job in responding to the situation. They were very kind in giving money to help us out and accompany us and comfort us. They did a great job.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high-rise apartment building; No injuries reported

About 200 residents had to be evacuated Sunday night after a fire sparked at a high-rise building in Tempe.

Firefighters responded to the scene at a residential building near 6th Street and Mill Avenue.

The fire was quickly upgraded to a 3rd-alarm fire which prompted more crews to respond. At one point, we’re told 250 firefighters were on the scene from six different cities.

Fire officials say it started when a fire sparked in a 9th-floor unit. It caused the sprinkler system to go off which contained the flames to a single unit.

The was water damage on the 9th, 8th, and 7th floors. A total of 5 units were displaced.

Sometime after midnight residents were allowed to reenter their homes.

Details of what sparked the fire haven’t been released.

There were no injuries reported.

Residential, Single Family Home

Clarkdale, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for garage fire; No injuries reported

Sunday night, Verde Valley Fire responded to a garage fire in the 600-block of King Copper Road in Clarkdale. Chief Danny Johnson says the home owner had placed hot ashes into their garbage can earlier in the day and then put the can into the garage. The can caught fire shortly after and activated the sprinkler system, which controlled the spread of the fire. Johnson says crews extinguished the fire and limited further spread. Everyone is reminded to place hot ashes into a metal container away from combustibles, soak it in water for a day, and dispose of it once it’s cold and out. No injuries were reported. 

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Tucson, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire; No injuries reported

A dryer fire broke out on the northeast side, but is now under control. 

The fire occurred at 6900 block of East Tanque Verde Road near Sabino Canyon Road but has been declared under control, Tucson Fire Department says. 

Officials say a large industrial dryer fire set off the sprinklers in the laundry room. No injuries or extended fire damage were reported at the scene. 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system activated for fire at appliance warehouse

Crews have contained a second alarm fire that broke out at an appliance warehouse in Tempe Saturday night.

Fire crews say when they arrived at the building near Hardy and Broadway roads, they found haze coming from the second floor and the building’s sprinkler system had been activated.

The fire was balanced to a first alarm fire due to the size and type of building, but was then balanced to a second alarm after a Mayday situation was activated.

During the attack, two firefighters became disoriented which prompted the Mayday situation.

Officials say both of the firefighters were quickly located, uninjured and doing okay.

Tempe fire officials say over 100 firefighters were on the scene from Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Guadalupe to help battle the fire.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Tempe, AZ – Sprinkler system extinguishes stove fire at University Towers

One person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a small kitchen fire broke out at the University Towers student housing complex Tuesday evening, according to Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department spokesperson Brandon Siebert. 

The occupant who was injured suffered smoke inhalation and other minor injuries after falling while evacuating the building. Another person was evaluated by paramedics on scene but declined any further care, Siebert said.

Three people were temporarily displaced by the fire: two people from the unit that caught fire on the second floor, and one in the unit below, which sustained water damage, Siebert said.

The fire started after a frying pan with cooking oil was left on the stove unattended, Siebert said. The building’s automatic fire sprinkler system extinguished the flames and prevented the fire from spreading to other apartments.

University Towers is located at 525 S. Forest Ave. in Tempe.

Apartment Building, Residential

Yuma, AZ – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by fire sprinkler; No injuries reported

A fire that started in the kitchen could have turned into something much worse without the help of a fire sprinkler.

The Yuma Fire Department received reports of an apartment fire at La Posada Apartments last Sunday around 1 p.m.

Fire crews found a stovetop fire in the apartment at the scene, but the fire sprinkler had extinguished the fire.

They say a pot of oil had splashed and burned the stove’s burner. The fire was thankfully extinguished before it could spread to the rest of the kitchen.

No injuries were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Bullhead City, AZ – Fire sprinkler activates in two-story apartment garage, saves property; No injuries reported

On May 25, 2020, at approximately 10:05 PM, several BCFD units were dispatched to the report of an alarm sounding in the 1600 block of Havasupai Dr. Engine 761s crew arrived first on the scene reporting a two-story apartment structure.

Several tenants had already self-evacuated advising firefighters that a garage on the lower level was on fire. Crews quickly located the two-car garage, which was filled with smoke. Fortunately, the building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which properly activated a single sprinkler head in the garage area, extinguishing the fire before it was able to spread. All property, including two vehicles that were parked inside of the garage, were undamaged from the fire.

Bullhead City Fire Department attributes the working automatic sprinkler systems to saving lives and property. Because of the location of this fire, it could have very easily extended into the living spaces of the apartments above, causing extensive damage to both lives and property.

No injuries were reported from this incident and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Green Valley, AZ – Fire sprinklers put out restaurant fire

A small fire has closed 19th Hole Bar & Grille in Green Valley just weeks after it was reduced to takeout-only service because of coronavirus.

But owner Greg Hansen said it won’t affect Easter dinner if you planned to order from them.

The fire broke out near the back door in a pile of rags that Hansen suspects spontaneously combusted. He said surveillance video led him to that conclusion.

Green Valley Fire District firefighters were called to the restaurant in the Best Western hotel near the southeastern corner of La Canada and Esperanza at 11:46 p.m. Sunday.

A GVFD spokesman said the fire likely was put out by sprinklers; 15 firefighters responded.

Cause of the fire is under investigation, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department sent an arson investigator, which is standard in these cases.

Hansen estimated there is about $10,000 in damage and said he’ll likely be closed a couple of weeks. No equipment was damaged, he said. But he said the restaurant will be a pickup point for Easter carryout, which will be prepared at Longhorn Grill in Amado, which he also owns. He said people can order by calling (520) 977-4645 or (520) 398-0700.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Bullhead City, AZ – Sprinkler system limits damage to restaurant after fire starts on range; No injuries reported

A properly working fire suppression system is being credited for limited the damage at a Bullhead City restaurant Wednesday morning.

Units from the Bullhead City Fire Department were called to the Hibachi Buffet, in the 2200 block of Highway 95, around 11:18 a.m. Arriving crews found smoke coming from the rooftop and an audible fire alarm sounding.

According to a news release from the Bullhead City Fire Department, firefighters confirmed that all employees and diners had left the building before gaining access to the roof. Additional firefighters went inside, going to the kitchen area

“Fortunately, this building is equipped with a fire sprinkler system that properly activated when the fire broke out, keeping the blaze contained with minimal damage,” the news release said.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators determined the fire started on the cooktop range, activating the hood extinguishment system and one sprinkler head, confining the damage to the immediate area.

“Contrary to many movie portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate,” the release said. “Having a fire sprinkler system can keep a fire from spreading and aid with extinguishment. Fire spreads quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause significant damages to property and endanger those nearby.”