Tag Archives: Texas

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Beaumont, TX – Sprinkler system controls fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

A fire caused by electrical issues has forced the temporary closure of a restaurant in Orange Friday morning, according to the fire department.

Firefighters were called to Two Amigos, located at 2308 Lutcher Drive, shortly after 7:30 a.m. As firefighters arrived at the fire they reported “light smoke showing from the outside” of the building. They determined the fire started in the dining area just outside the kitchen and was caused by electrical problems, according to the fire department.

The fire was quickly brought under control by the restaurant’s sprinkler system, preventing further damage, according to firefighters at the scene.

Firefighters also confirmed there was a small fire at the same restaurant the day before. As a result, the business has been closed until proper repairs can be completed. Officials said Entergy and the gas company were called to the scene and were “pulling the meters” as part of the response.

No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.

This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.

Apartment Building, Residential

Austin, TX – Fire caused by charging e-bike knocked down by sprinkler system

AFD is at the scene of a second floor apartment fire in east Austin. It is the fire department’s third major fire response this morning after an apartment fire in southeast Austin and a fire at a liquor store in east Austin.

Fire crews are at the scene of smoke coming from an apartment at 1700 E. Third St. AFD initially reported the fire at around 5:50 a.m. Friday morning.

AFD says that fire crews entered the apartment to find that the sprinkler system knocked down the fire. Crews extinguished the fire, including hot spots, and worked to shut off the water flow from the sprinklers.

Investigators determined the fire was caused by an electric E-bike being charged in the apartment.

One apartment sustained fire and water damage, while another apartment sustained water damage. Crews remained at the scene to limit further water damage from the sprinkler system.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Austin, TX – Sprinkler system contains laundry room fire at hotel; No injuries reported

Firefighters extinguished a fire at a downtown Austin hotel overnight.

AFD said that crews were at the scene of a fire at Cambria Hotel at 68 East Ave. around 12:24 a.m. Thursday morning.

The fire began in a first floor laundry room in the building, according to the fire department; AFD said that it had been contained to that room by the building’s sprinkler system.

AFD crews worked to ventilate smoke from the building.

The fire was reported extinguished just before 1 a.m. Thursday morning, AFD saying that the blaze was contained to a clothes dryer.

No one was hurt, according to AFD.

Apartment Building, Residential

Magnolia, TX – Kitchen fire at apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Even before 911 was called, a single fire sprinkler stopped what could have been a dangerous apartment fire in Montgomery County Sunday evening. Magnolia Firefighters were dispatched to a water flow alarm at the Villages of Magnolia apartments on FM 2978 shortly after 8pm. After the alarm sounded, additional calls to 911 reported a smell of smoke in one of the buildings.

The first fire crews were on scene within minutes and quickly located the source of the smell, an extinguished kitchen fire. The stove had been left on unattended, igniting a fire that spread to the kitchen cabinets above. Just as the fire was about to breach the ceiling and spread throughout the building, the heat activated a nearby fire sprinkler and stopped the fire in its tracks. After making sure the fire was fully extinguished, Firefighters shut the water off to the fire sprinkler and began the clean-up process.

Fire damage was limited to the stove and the kitchen cabinets, and although the residents of that apartment will be temporarily displaced, the fire did not spread to the other units and there were no injuries reported. Had it not been for the building’s fire sprinkler system, this incident could have had a very different outcome.

THE IMPACT OF FIRE SPRINKLERS ON APARTMENT FIRE DEATHS AND INJURIES

It is estimated that about 25 percent of the U.S. population resides in apartment or multi-family buildings. Overall, apartment fire deaths and injuries have declined during the past five decades, but they have continued to be the second-leading occupancy for fire deaths and injuries (behind one- and two-family dwelling fires). Since the late 1980s or early 1990s, most new apartment buildings have installed residential fire sprinkler protection. While the number of apartment fires has remained fairly steady over the past thirty years, fire deaths and injuries have declined. Fire sprinkler systems have played a large role in the reduction of deaths and injuries in these types of buildings.

Deaths from apartment fires has been declining from an average of 840 per year in the 1980s to an average of about 375 per year (2013-2022). Injuries from apartment fires, however, continued to climb into the 1990s before gradually declining.

Apartment Building, Residential

Amarillo, TX – Sprinkler system contains dryer fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

The Amarillo Fire Department responded to a fire at apartments on south Coulter Saturday night.

The fire, reported at 6:18 PM, originated from a dryer inside an apartment unit.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered that the apartment’s automatic sprinkler system had effectively contained the fire before it could spread further.

According to the Amarillo Fire Department (AFD), crews conducted searches of the unit, ventilated the apartment, and assisted the occupant in retrieving personal belongings.

Firefighters also replaced the activated sprinkler head, restored the system, and worked to remove standing water from the apartment.

AFD says a total of “10 suppression units and 34 personnel responded” to the incident, which lasted approximately 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Estimated damages include $20,000 in property loss and $50,000 in content loss.

Fortunately, no injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.

Apartment Building, Residential

Austin, TX – Sprinkler system controlled arson fire at apartment complex

The Austin Fire Department (AFD) responded to the apartment complex located at 10010 N Capital of Texas Highway SB at approximately 8:33 p.m. on Sunday, December 8 for a report of a fire in a bedroom.

Austin Police Department (APD) personnel were on scene for a check welfare call at the residence and directed fire crews to the scene. The fire had been brought under control by the building’s fire sprinkler system. Crews finished extinguishing the flames and reset the sprinkler system before the scene was turned over to AFD Investigations.

Fire investigators processed the scene and spoke with Steve Manor, the apartment’s resident, who had been detained by APD. Mr. Manor confessed to intentionally starting the fire to elicit a response from APD or AFD. The physical evidence at the scene validated Manor’s admission.

Steve Manor was transported to the Travis County Jail. He has been charged with arson, a state jail felony. His bond has been set at $15,000.

The damaged to the residence and contents are estimated to be approximately $12,000.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Brownwood, TX – Sprinkler system contains fire at hotel; No injuries reported

The Brownwood Fire Department issued the following press release Tuesday afternoon:

The Brownwood Fire Department responded to a report of smoke in the building at 504 W. Commerce, site of the Best Western Plus, at 1:41 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. Upon investigation it was found that there was a fire in laundry room. The buildings fire sprinkler system had contained the fire preventing further fire extension. Firefighters completed the extinguishment using a fire extinguisher. The fire originated in a commercial clothes dryer. Fire Crews ventilated the smoke from the building. Building Maintenance was onsite and began cleanup of water immediately. There was no danger to the occupants in the building and the occupants reported no injuries. The business remains open, and no occupants were displaced.

Chief 9, Truck 9, Rescue 9 and Engine 92 responded with assistance from the Brownwood Police Department.

The fire was under control in 7 minutes, units were on scene for 35 minutes. The fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damages.

Apartment Building, Residential

Brownwood, TX – Sprinkler system contains structure fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

The Brownwood Fire Department issued the following press release Monday morning:

The Brownwood Fire Department responded to a structure fire call at 9:58 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4 at 2131 Indian Creek Drive, Apt. 1602. Upon arrival the fire had been contained by the fire sprinkler system. Firefighters performed a primary search and removed one dog and returned it to its owner. The apartment was ventilated and the apartment was checked for fire extension. One occupant was displaced and received assistance from Red Cross. There were no reported injuries. The structure sustained smoke, water, and fire damage and the apartment manager and maintenance staff were on scene to begin clean up of units unaffected by the fire.

Chief 9, Chief 92, Chief 93, Truck 9, Rescue 9, and Engine 92 responded to the scene with assistance from the Early Fire Department, Lifeguard Ambulance, Brownwood Police Department, and the Red Cross.

It took 10 minutes to extinguish the fire and units were on scene 1 hour and 10 minutes. The fire cause an estimated $25,000 worth of damage.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kingwood, TX – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at apartment building; No injuries reported

Just before Midnight Tuesday, Firefighters from the Porter and Houston Fire Departments were dispatched to reports of a fire on the first floor of a 3 story, 20 unit apartment building at the Marquis at Kingwood apartments on Kings Manor Drive in southeast Montgomery County. Porter Engine and Rescue 121 were on scene within minutes reporting smoke inside the building. The fire crews entered the building and quickly found the source of the smoke, a dryer that had caught fire in a utility room.

Fortunately, for the residents at the Marquis at Kingwood apartments, the building was equipped with both a fire alarm and a fire sprinkler system. In order to minimize the risk to residents, modern fire codes require fire sprinklers and alarms in multi-family residential buildings. While the building’s fire alarm system did its job and alerted residents to the growing fire, a single fire sprinkler located in the utility room activated from the heat escaping from the clothing burning in the dryer. The fire sprinkler contained the fire to the interior of the dryer, and upon their arrival, fire crews used a water-based fire extinguisher, further drenching the burning contents, before removing the dryer from the building. There were no injuries and fire damage was confined to the dryer itself.

Firefighters and the apartment’s maintenance crew then utilized a wet vac to remove the water and clean the utility room before turning the apartment back over to management. What started out as a potentially life-threatening fire in an apartment building full of sleeping residents, ended up as nothing more than minor smoke and water damage to a single room, thanks to the presence of the fire alarm and sprinkler systems and management’s commitment to maintaining those systems in working order.

The Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office reviews construction plans during the building process, insuring that all new and renovated buildings meet the life safety requirements found in the Montgomery County Fire Code. After they are built and occupied, MCFMO Fire Inspectors work closely with building occupants and management teams to protect the lives of our residents and the firefighters who would respond in the event of a fire.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Abilene, TX – Sprinkler system activated for kitchen fire at restaurant; No injuries reported

Employees trying to clean fryers at an Abilene restaurant caused a gas line to disconnect and ignite in the kitchen Wednesday evening.

The Abilene Fire Department said it responded to the fire in the 4100 block of Ridgemont Drive and found the single-story restaurant with smoke coming from the back door. All customers and employees had gotten out of the building safely.

Fire crews found a small fire in the kitchen and quickly put it out. The fire was contained to the fryer area and did not damage the building. The vent hood suppression system and sprinkler system activated which contained the fire to the area of origin.

Damages are estimated at $10,000.