Tag Archives: Washington

Apartment Building, Residential

Port Angeles, WA – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire in apartment building

A Port Angeles woman who allegedly set fire to the Serenity House of Clallam County apartment she lived in has been charged with first-degree arson.

A Port Angeles woman who allegedly set fire to the Serenity House of Clallam County apartment she lived in has been charged with first-degree arson.

Port Angeles police said Kovacevic used a lighter to set fire to a mattress in her living room last Friday morning.

A Port Angeles woman who allegedly set fire to the Serenity House of Clallam County apartment she lived in has been charged with first-degree arson.

Witnesses told police that Kovacevic had been acting erratically in the week leading up to the fire, according to the affidavit for probable cause.

Police said that Kovacevic suffered a traumatic brain injury in the past and that her symptoms had escalated since she stopped taking her medication, court papers said.

The Port Angeles Fire Department arrived at the fire at 9:10 a.m. and declared it under control at 9:28 a.m. Friday. An automatic sprinkler system in the building had activated.

Kovacevic was found in a family member’s home at about noon Friday, police said.

Kovacevic allegedly admitted to starting the fire, officer Erik Smith wrote in his arrest report.

“She confirmed she did this in the living room that morning with a black lighter,” Smith wrote.

“Before leaving the area, she saw someone checking on her apartment. She remarked that when she looked at (her unit), the smoke was grey and what she observed was ‘like a cute postcard, almost.”

Kovacevic remained in the Clallam County jail on $50,000 bond Thursday.

Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols had requested a $250,000 bail for Kovacevic at her initial court appearance Monday based on community safety concerns.

A review hearing is set for April 12.

Other - Residential, Residential

Port Angeles, WA – Sprinkler system kept arson fire under control in multi-family home

Port Angeles police officers have arrested a woman for investigation of felony arson in the fourplex fire at Serenity House of Clallam County’s Evergreen Family Village that left three families homeless.

The blaze was reported at 9:10 a.m. Friday and was declared under control at 9:28 a.m. No one was home at the time and no one was injured, according to authorities.

Denise K. Kovacevic, 40, was in custody at the Clallam County jail with no bail set Saturday. Her first appearance in Superior Court is set for 1 p.m. Monday.

Officers were seeking Kovacevic after she was seen leaving the apartment building at 2203 W. 18th St., just prior to the blaze, said Cpl. Sky Sexton.

Also, Sexton said, the location where the fire started — in the living room of one of the units — “isn’t generally where an accidental fire would be set.”

She was found at a family member’s home at about noon Friday, according to the initial police report, Sexton said.

During an interview with a detective, “she admitted setting the fire, but gave off a lot of indications of mental health issues,” which officers hope will be explored during the process, Sexton said.

Capt. Terry Reid of the Port Angeles Fire Department said Friday that the extent of damage was unknown.

Reid said a sprinkler system activated immediately after the fire started.

“It was really under control by the time we got there,” he said.

Reid said an administrator at Serenity House was coordinating efforts to rehouse the three families who were displaced by the fire.

The administrator was not available for comment Friday.

Apartment Building, Residential

Liberty Lake, WA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at unfinished apartment complex; No injuries reported

An apartment complex that was under construction in Liberty Lake was seriously damaged after a fire.

The fire was reported to have started in a full size pickup parked next to the building. The fire spread from the pickup to the complex, which was in the final stages of construction and unoccupied at the time of the fire.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to the complex in the 21900 block of east Country Vista Dr. Friday evening.

When crews arrived, they found a Liberty Lake police officer, an off-duty Fire District 9 Lieutenant and the complex’s maintenance man using fire extinguishers in an attempt to extinguish the fire.

They weren’t able to put out the fire despite using six extinguishers. However, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said their efforts weren’t in vain, as they helped slow the fire growth, buying crews more time.

The fire department says the building’s construction also played a part in slowing the spread of the fire. The building was equipped with a working sprinkler system.

The garage also had two layers of 5/8 gypsum board on the walls and ceiling, which prevented the fire from extending into the wood framing of the building.

The reason the pickup burned is still under investigation and extensive damage occurred to the pickup and the front of the building.

No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Everett, WA – Sprinkler system activated in third floor apartment fire; No injuries reported

Fire that broke out in a third story apartment was quickly stopped by the sprinkler system at the Camelot Apartments in south Everett Sunday afternoon.

Just before 6:00 PM fire alarms sounded and multiple sprinkler heads were activated in a third floor apartment and hallway.

Arriving crews from Everett Fire and mutual aid from South County Fire arrived to people evacuating the building with some smoke on the third floor.

The fire that had started in a third floor unit was out and apartments directly below that unit suffered water damage.

Three families were being assisted with temporary housing from the Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

An Everett Fire Investigator is on site working to determine the cause of the fire. There were no injuries.

A damaged estimate was not available at the time of this writing.

Retail

Vancouver, WA – Attic fire at clothing store controlled by sprinkler system

A failed electric conduit in the attic of a small store in the Bagley Downs neighborhood was the cause of Sunday’s two-alarm fire, according to the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office. Fire personnel responded about 5:10 a.m. to Novedades Lizy, a women’s clothing store located in a strip mall at 5904 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., after a passer-by reported smoke coming from the building, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said. The fire was contained within 30 minutes of firefighters entering the building with a hose and cutting a hole in the room to allow smoke to escape, according to a Sunday press release from the Vancouver Fire Department. No one was inside the building when the blaze started.

“Fortunately, the building was equipped with a fire sprinkler system, which quickly activated and controlled the fire in the attic until firefighters arrived to complete the extinguishment,” Scarpelli said. The fire was ruled accidental and damages are estimated at $66,000. No one was displaced, but two businesses will be closed until repairs are complete, Scarpelli said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Cheney, WA – Sprinkler system prevents apartment fire from spreading

A fire in a Cheney apartment building prompted an evacuation, but was contained to a single apartment Monday night thanks to a sprinkler head. Last Monday around 8:23 p.m., Cheney firefighters responded to the fire at the Eagle Point Apartments, discovering upon arrival that a single automatic fire sprinkler head in a kitchen had activated. The building was evacuated, but the sprinkler prevented the fire from spreading throughout the apartment. All occupants of the building were allowed to return, besides the occupants of the affected apartment. Fire crews determined the fire started on the stove in the apartment while an occupant was cooking.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Everson, WA – Fire at nylon casting business controlled by sprinkler system

An Everson nylon casting business that has suffered two substantial fires since 2006 had another Thursday evening, but the building’s sprinkler system kept damage to a minimum and allowed everybody to get out safely.

Whatcom County Fire District 1, with the assistance of crews from the Lynden Fire Department and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, responded to a report of a commercial fire at 7:52 p.m. at the Nylatech, Inc. facility at 223 W. Main St. 

According to District 1 Chief Mel Bankers in an interview Friday with The Bellingham Herald, a machine that heats up raw plastic and spins it at a high rate of speed before pouring it into a mold malfunctioned.

“One of the employees heard a loud pop,” Blankers told The Herald. “They think it was the sound of a bolt breaking in the machine. After that happened, plastic began to leak out, and it was extremely hot — near its flash point. When the fumes found an ignition source, they ignited.”

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Kent, WA – Electrical fire at ice rink extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

The Kent Valley Ice Centre has reopened after a day after it was shut down by an electrical fire.

Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority responded to a sprinkler alarm at the popular ice rink at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The report was upgraded to a commercial building fire after reports of smoke coming from the compressor room used for the ammonia-based cooling system.

Staff safely evacuated everyone from the building and there were no injuries, according to Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.

Firefighters found a large electrical panel that had caught fire and activated the sprinkler system. The fire was quickly extinguished and there was no danger of an ammonia leak.

The damage has now been repaired and the ice rink has reopened, according to managers.

The fire is considered accidental, according to the investigator.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Milton, WA – Boiler room fire at middle school suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes and all school-related activities are canceled at Surprise Lake Middle School in Milton on Tuesday after a fire in the boiler-room area damaged one of the school’s buildings.  The school’s sprinkler system quickly kicked in and put the fire out just as parent Raj Sanghera came to pick up her son from soccer practice.

“We heard the fire trucks come in. First there was just one. And then a couple more came. And then we actually started smelling the smoke,” she told KOMO News. “So, a lot of us parents walked over here and we saw the smoke shooting up from the roof.”  A small number of students and staff members had to be evacuated. They were forced to leave their belongings behind.  None of the classrooms here were touched, administrators said. However, there is a smell of smoke in the air. The fire marshal plans to rule the fire as accidental, he said.

“I’m happy that it was after school — that there were very few students inside the school. And nobody got hurt. Everyone’s safe,” Sanghera. said.  “There were no injuries from the fire. And the good thing is the fire suppression system actually worked and put the fire out before it spread too far,” Alfano said. District staff members will meet Tuesday morning to talk about next steps and a plan to let students get any belongings that were left behind. The district’s other schools will be on their regular schedules Tuesday. Ironically, the building where the fire happened at Surprise Lake Middle School was already set to be demolished next June, Alfano said. Voters passed a $176 million bond last February to build new schools and upgrade others, which includes replacing Surprise Lake Middle School. It was built in the early 1970s. Construction on the new building is set to begin in July, Alfano said.

Residential, Single Family Home

Redmond, WA – House fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Firefighters from Redmond, Kirkland and Woodinville extinguished the fire with help from sprinklers.

Redmond, Kirkland and Woodinville firefighters extinguished a Redmond house fire on the evening of Nov. 27, with no reported injuries.

Firefighters responded to a home off Northeast 114th Way in Redmond to find heavy smoke coming from the garage with a car on fire.

“Incoming crews were able to rapidly extinguish the fire with no reported injuries,” said Todd Short, a Redmond fire marshal in a press release.

Fire personnel also received help from the home’s sprinkler system.

“With the automatic activation of the residential fire sprinkler system, this fire event was quickly and successfully contained to the garage,” Short said in the release. “It is estimated that in this case the sprinkler system kept the fire damage from being more extensive and saved over $100,000 in additional fire damage. This is a great example of the benefits of residential fire sprinklers and the reason that Redmond adopted a requirement for fire sprinklers in all newly built homes since 2007.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.