Tag Archives: Florida

Apartment Building, Residential

Miami, FL – Sprinklers help stop fire on 10th floor of off-campus apartment building

Hundreds of Florida International University students were evacuated from an apartment building near campus early Thursday morning after a fire broke out while someone was cooking.

Witnesses told Local 10 News that a grease fire sparked the flames on the 10th floor of 109 Tower along Southwest 109th Avenue at Seventh Street after midnight. Much of the floor was damaged by fire and other parts of the building suffered water damage from the sprinkler system.

No one was injured, but many residents stayed up all night searching for a place to sleep.

“That’s what I’m doing right now,” one student told Local 10 News. “I’m about to go hike to go sleep on a couch.”

Jaime Zapata, who lives in the off-campus housing, told Local 10 News that students were told to pack their bags and plan to be out of the building for two days. Many of them left the building without identification and were worried because they have finals to study for and take.

“They’ve had us out here since about 2 or 3 in the morning, telling us that we can’t go back inside because it’s not safe,” student Analee Wharton said.

Susan Jennings, vice president of EdR Collegiate Housing, which owns the apartment building, said the majority of students have been allowed to return to their rooms. She said the students who lived in the apartment where the fire occurred and near the apartment have been put up in a hotel by the company.

According to Jennings, the sprinkler system was activated for about 20 minutes after the fire broke out.

FIU authorities said 109 Tower resumed normal operations Tuesday night.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Palm Beach, FL – Fire at Bath & Tennis Club quickly extinguished by sprinkler system

Traffic was rerouted this evening around the Bath & Tennis Club in the 1100 block of South Ocean Boulevard due to a small fire from a garbage can in the paint shop that was extinguished quickly, said Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Sean Baker. The road was open again by 7:15.

“Some paper products caught fire and the sprinkler system held the fire in check,” Baker said. “It was out pretty quickly.” Baker said there was no smoke damage, only water damage

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

St. Pete Beach, FL – Sprinkler system activates to help control fire at TradeWinds resort hotel

A freak fire set off the sprinkler system at the TradeWinds Resort on Friday night, drenching hotel rooms in the Jacaranda Building, fire officials said. The fire was inside a microwave. A guest put a towel in the microwave to warm it up and instead it caught fire, emitting smoke that set off the fire alarm and activated the sprinkler system. No one was injured.

Blog Note – Only the substantial heat from a significant, advancing fire will activate a sprinkler system (not smoke)

The sprinkler system flooded rooms from the first to fifth floor, forcing those guests to evacuate. A private cleaning crew was being brought in to soak up the water to make the building habitable once again. The hotel was in the process of arranging accommodations at other hotels for the displaced guests.

Fire companies from St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, South Pasadena and St. Petersburg responded to the alarm.

Apartment Building, Residential

Gainesville, FL – Fire in elevator room at off-campus apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system

A fire in an elevator’s engine room at The Bartram apartments on Southwest Archer Road was extinguished by a fire sprinkler Wednesday night. GFR units were dispatched to Bartram at 10:48 p.m. Wednesday due to an active fire alarm, a Gainesville Fire Rescue news release said. When they arrived, the crews found smoke in an elevator shaft and the call was upgraded at that point to a building fire.

It turned out that there was a fire in the engine room beside the elevator, so a sprinkler was activated and the flames were extinguished quickly, the news release said. The fire was contained in the engine room and there were no injuries reported. GFR emphasized in its release that having a working sprinkler system usually can contain or extinguish a fire until Fire Rescue personnel arrive.

Hotel / Motel, Other - Residential

Daytona Beach, FL – Mattress fire at residential building put out by sprinkler system

Firefighters responded to a mattress fire at the Three Oaks Inn at 331 S. Palmetto Ave. about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday. The fire is believed to have started because of someone smoking in bed, Daytona Beach fire spokeswoman Julie Maddux said. The building’s sprinkler system put the fire out. About 35 people were displaced. The displaced residents were assisted by the Red Cross.

Other - Retail, Retail

Tampa, FL – Early morning arson fire at business extinguished by sprinkler system

An early morning fire at the Hookah Hut in South Tampa today has been ruled an arson, firefighters said. Tampa Fire Rescue responded to the business, 3215 Henderson Blvd., at 6:19 a.m. and found that the fire had already been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system, according to a release from the agency.

The Fire Marshal arrived to investigate and found that the front and rear doors of the business showed signs of forced entry, the release said.  The Fire Marshal also discovered that the fire started in multiple places and found an unknown liquid with a strong odor. 

Tampa Fire Rescue’s HAZMAT team was called in to investigate the liquid. About $20,000 in damage was caused to the building and contents, firefighters said. Firefighters continue to investigate.

Anyone with information should contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at (813) 274-7000 or use the anonymous tips page at www.tampagov.net/arsontips. Rewards of up to $2,500 or more are available for information leading to an arrest.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Sarasota, FL – Arson fire at nightclub is prevented from spreading by sprinkler system

Sarasota deputies are looking for a man who they say set fire to a gay nightclub Sunday morning.  Surveillance video shows a man wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt and light colored shorts approaching Throb Nightclub, 2201 Industrial Blvd., at 9 a.m. Sunday, according to a release.

The man walked up to the door carrying a gas can and unsuccessfully tried to light the building on fire with a lit cigarette, deputies said. He walks away and then re-approaches the business, successfully lights the fire and walks away again.  The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading, according to a report.

When the flames cleared, Throb Nightclub had suffered $10,000 in fire and water damage. Owner Brian Zickafoose wasted no time making repairs, and opened the club for a regular Sunday evening just hours after the flames had been put out.

Anyone with information can contact criminal investigations at 941-861-4934 or the State Fire Marshal’s arson hotline at 877-662-7766. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Sarasota County by calling 941-366-TIPS (8477) or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com

Apartment Building, Residential

Viera, FL – Sprinklers activate to help limit damage in apartment kitchen fire; No injuries

One second floor apartment unit was damaged by smoke and fire and sprinkler water, and another was damaged by sprinkler water as part of a cooking fire that originated on a second floor structure at the Mission Bay apartment complex in Viera on Thursday afternoon, according to Brevard County Fire Rescue. Units from BCFR and the Rockledge Fire Department responded to a call just before 4:30 p.m.

There were no injuries as a result of the fire, BCFR adds.

Office Building, Restaurant

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Sprinklers activate, assist firefighters in extinguishing restaurant fire at downtown high rise

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The Bank of America building in downtown Fort Lauderdale was evacuated Thursday after a fire broke out in a restaurant located inside the building. A Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue representative said the grease fire began on the first floor of the building inside the grill at Grille 401. He said firefighters could see black smoke coming from the restaurant upon arrival.

 “When crews arrived, they found heavy black smoke coming from the upper part of the parking garage,” Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Capt. Greg May said. “The sprinkler heads activated like they were supposed to, but the fire got in the duct system and traveled the length of the building which is several hundred feet.”

“We looked out the side window here, and it was just covered in smoke,” Britny Alexander, who was inside the building at the time, said.

All 23 floors of the building were evacuated for several hours. No injuries were reported. Firefighters said Grille 401 would be closed for the remainder of the day. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Residential, Residential High Rise

St. Petersburg, FL – Sprinkler system saves residents of high-rise residential tower after ninth floor kitchen fire

(Blog Editor’s Note – Smoke does not cause sprinklers to activate – Only the substantial heat from a significant fire).

A small kitchen fire set off the sprinkler system and forced evacuation of the Burlington Towers in downtown St. Petersburg on Monday night, sending dry residents into the evening showers.

The fire in a unit on the 9th floor was put out quickly, but the smoke had activated the alarm system and set off the sprinkler system, officials said. At one point there were two inches of water in the hall of the 9th floor, and water had cascaded down to the seventh floor hall.

Some of the responding firefighters, who normally would haul hoses, were instead told to bring squeegees. There were no reports of injuries.