Des Moines fire crews are investigating the cause of a fire at a laundromat Tuesday morning.
It happened at the Coin Laundry in the 2300 block of East University Avenue at about 9 a.m.
Fire crews told KCCI the sprinkler system did its job in suppressing the fire. They believe it may have started in a dryer vent.
There were no injuries reported in the fire. Traffic in one westbound lane of East University Avenue was closed so crews could work at the scene.
According to a news release, the department responded at approximately 9:08 p.m. to the Burlington Apartments, located at 206 North 3rd Street in Burlington, for an automated sprinkler water flow alarm.
Shortly after receiving the alarm, the fire department says dispatchers with DESCOM started receiving 911 calls of a fire on the fourth floor of the nine-story apartment building.
Firefighters arrived at 9:11 p.m. and found fire alarms activating and the building being evacuated. When firefighters got to the fourth floor, they located one activated sprinkler head in one of the apartment unit kitchens.
An investigation revealed there had been an accidental cooking fire. It was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.
The fire department says the overall fire damage was minimal. Firefighters focused on shutting down the sprinkler system and controlling water damage.
The apartment building is owned by Historic Burlington, LLC and is insured. There were five apartments affected with six residents displaced.
The West Burlington Fire Department, Burlington Police Department, Alliant Energy and American Red Cross assisted at the scene.
At just after 9:30 a.m. on October 10, Bettendorf Fire Rescue was dispatched to the nursing home on Crow Creek Road in response to a structure fire.
The fire had broken out in one room in the building’s west wing, and was easily extinguished by the sprinkler system while firefighters at the scene got residents out of the building. The fire was reportedly strong enough to trip both of the room’s sprinkler heads.
Eleven residents of the west wing have been relocated to different rooms, while one occupant was sent to the hospital for evaluation. The building’s west wing is closed for repairs due to significant water and smoke damage.
The Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department has now determined the cause of an apartment fire last Sunday to be improperly discarded fireworks.
Just after 3:00 a.m. on July 5, JGMFD units responded to a fire alarm call at the Providence Point Apartments in Johnston. The fire, which was contained by two sprinkler heads, was coming from the dumpster in one of the attached garages.
The crews took the dumpster out of the garage and finished putting out the fire from there.
Upon further investigation, they found the fire had been caused by fireworks that were thrown away in the dumpster. No residents were displaced or hurt in the event of the fire.
The Iowa City Fire Department found a car on fire around 6:05 a.m. in one of the underground levels of parking ramp two.
Firefighters said the sprinkler system contained the fire and fire personnel fully extinguished it.
The fire did not damage any other cars or property.
The Iowa City Fire Marshal’s office is still investigating a cause.
At around 12:42 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, the Iowa City Fire Department was sent to a report of a structure fire at Melrose Meadows Retirement Community, located at 350 Dublin Drive. The staff reported a fire in one of the assisted living units.
Firefighters arrived and located the fire, which was being kept under control by a sprinkler system. They were able to extinguish the flames within five minutes.
The person living in the unit was able to be evacuated safely by the staff, and nearby units were also evacuated.
Fire department officials said that one person at the facility was taken to the hospital via ambulance. There was no information given about their condition.
Officials estimate the damage to the building at around $20,000.
The Coralville Fire Department, Iowa City Police Department, and Johnson County Ambulance Service assisted in the emergency response.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan firefighters were called to the Providence Point Apartments, in the 6200 block of NW 106th Street, in Johnston.
When they arrived, they were notified of a grease fire in the kitchen of a second-floor apartments. Firefighters found light smoke.
Firefighters said because of the fire and water damage from the sprinkler system, people living in two apartments were displaced.
At about 6:30 p.m. the Des Moines Fire Department received calls of a grease fire that started while a person was cooking. According to Lt. Rick Thomas, with the Des Moines Fire Department, smoke filled the hallways of the 14th floor of the building.
Thomas said the sprinkler system helped put out the fire and residents will be allowed to return to their apartments soon. He said there were no injuries that are known at this time, and there was smoke and water damage.
Residents were evacuated from an apartment on the south side of Des Moines early Wednesday morning.
Fire crews were called to 1516 Evergreen Avenue at around 5:45 a.m.
Fire officials say there was a grease fire in the kitchen of a first-floor apartment that caused water and smoke damage to the apartment and the hallway.
Fire Captain Tim Patava said there were no injuries in the fire and more than a dozen were evacuated.
Alarms and sprinklers were tripped by the fire and the fire was contained to that apartment.
The blaze began a little before 7:30 a.m. on the third floor of the Capital Square building, which counts The Des Moines Register newspaper among its tenants.
Flames and some shattered windows could be seen from the street.
Fire Department spokesman Rick Thomas says most of the flames had been knocked down by a little after 8 a.m. He told the newspaper that fire sprinklers checked the blaze until firefighters could begin their work.
The fire cause is being investigated.
