Tag Archives: Wisconsin

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at apartment complex

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At 5:11 a.m., April 13th, Madison’s Fire Station Eight was dispatched to 4016 Nakoosa Trail for an activated fire alarm.

While the firefighters were en route, a 911 call came in, detailing smoke in the hallway, which elicited a full structure fire response.

Residents were evacuating the area when Engine 8 arrived at 5:17 a.m. One of the outside occupants stated that a fire had broken out in their unit. Upon investigation, the firefighters confirmed the fire was extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system.

The fire team shut down electricity to the apartment and assisted with water removal from the first-floor hallways. Three other units were affected by the water, though its occupants were not displaced.

The occupant of the fire unit was taken to the hospital, evaluated, and has since been released.

The apartment where the fire occurred is currently deemed uninhabitable, and the American Red Cross is assisting the displaced occupant.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire in 6-story building

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Crews were called to a fire at a Madison complex on Monday evening around 9:30pm.

Firefighters on Engine 3 responded to The Standard Madison apartment complex (1868 E. Washington Ave.), a mixed-use building. 911 was simultaneously alerted when the alarm monitoring company called in a water flow alarm and a resident said a fire alarm was sounding throughout the complex. It was upgraded to a full fire response after noticing heavy smoke coming from a bar that was under construction. They made entry and found a sprinkler was activated. Firefighters used a water can to complete extinguishment of the fire.

The building has businesses on the first level with apartments above.

It shows the importance of a working sprinkler system, even when a business is under construction.

“The sprinkler system did its job. The sprinkler head closest to the fire activated, contained the fire to the area of origin, notified the occupants of the building through the fire alarm system and notified Dane County 911 whom dispatched Madison Fire to the scene for final extinguishment and clean up.” said Fire Marshal Bill Sullivan.

The fire was caused by spontaneous combustion by improperly disposing of oil and stain-soaked clothing. No residents were displaced, and the other businesses were able to open as scheduled.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Oak Creek, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at power plant; No injuries reported

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A fire broke out at the We Energies Power Plant in Oak Creek on Monday night, April 8. The call came at 8:40 p.m.  

When crews arrived at the scene, they found smoke visible from the exterior of the dust collector. Fire companies entered the facility and confirmed that a fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

There was no extension of the fire to any other part of the structure.

There were no reported injuries to We Energies employees or fire personnel. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Marshfield, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at door manufacturing facility

One person was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire at a Marshfield business Wednesday morning.

Crews responded to a report of a fire at Masonite Architectural, a door manufacturer at approximately 9:50 a.m. When crews arrived they found a large particle board press on fire. A press release said the fire sprinkler system was activated, containing the fire while crews extinguished the press fire. However, the fire spread to the attic through the ductwork. To put out those flames a ladder truck was used to access the roof of the building. An additional fire was put out in another piece of machinery.

The location of the fire within the building made it difficult for crews to reach and extinguish the flames. As a result, crews were on the scene for 6.5 hours. One Masonite employee was treated and released for smoke inhalation. No fire service personnel were injured.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

Crews from the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department and the Vesper Fire Department responded.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential, School / University

Madison, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire on university campus

The Madison Fire Department reported an automatic sprinkler prevented further damage to a building on UW-Madison’s campus overnight.

Spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said firefighters were dispatched to 30 East Campus Mall at 12:33 a.m. for a fire alarm activation. Schuster said no one was around to report the fire to 911.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met by members of the UW-Madison Police Department and UW Security.

The crew entered the building and noticed an odor of smoke. The odor was followed to a wood workshop, where the crew found the room full of smoke and an automatic fire sprinkler activated.

Beneath the active sprinkler was a burned-up garbage can and its contents on the floor. Just one sprinkler head activated, but it extinguished the fire and prevented the fire from spreading, according to Schuster.

Damage from the fire is estimated at about $2,000. Damage was contained to some paint cans, a portable electric sander, cabinets and other items.

Firefighters moved the burned items outside, ventilated the area, and turned off the fire sprinkler system.

With the sprinkler systems temporarily shut down, UW Security provided fire watch until a responsible party returned to the building.

Apartment Building, Residential

Madison, WI – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Fire crews were called to an apartment building on Madison’s West side for the report of fire alarms sounding and a smoke odor in the hallway. Fire crews found a fire sprinkler had extinguished a kitchen fire in an apartment. Firefighters worked to ventilate the smoke odor, and the investigation is ongoing. No one was home at the time of the fire, and the American Red Cross was called in to assist displaced residents.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Milwaukee, WI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at Holiday Inn Express & Suites; No injuries reported

Fire crews responded to a fire at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. at the hotel on Park Place, near 107th and Good Hope.

Fire crews said the fire was on the first floor. The hotel’s sprinkler system put out the flames.

Crews said no injuries were reported.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Waukesha, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at senior living facility; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system reportedly extinguished a fire at Linden Grove, 425 N. University Dr., in Waukesha at 5:35 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Staff brought residents outside the building and gave them blankets to keep them warm while firefighters investigated the fire’s aftermath. The residents were reportedly brought back into their rooms within approximately one hour. Attempts to obtain further information about the fire before deadline were not successful.

Apartment Building, Residential

Kenosha, WI – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire; No injuries reported

An apartment fire in Pleasant Prairie was successfully extinguished by the building’s sprinkler Tuesday evening, resulting in no injuries according to the Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue Department.

According to a department social media release, at about 6:21 p.m., the department received a report of a fire alarm at an apartment complex in the 8200 block of 88th Ave. On arrival, crews found nothing showing.

Crews entered the building and determined there was water flow on the first floor. Upon reaching the apartment the crews opened the door and found a room full of smoke.

Upon entering the apartment it was determined the sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire. Crews remained on the scene for approximately an hour performing ventilation. Once the smoke was removed from the building occupants were allowed to return. No injuries were reported.

Aid was received from the Kenosha Fire Department, Bristol Fire Department, Somers Fire Department, Paris Fire Department, Salem Lakes Fire & Rescue, Winthrop Harbor Fire, Beach Park Fire, Newport Fire and Zion Fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Fitchburg, WI – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Fitchburg fire officials say an entire apartment would have likely gone up in flames Monday if it wasn’t for an automatic sprinkler system.

Division Chief of Prevention and Inspection Mark Mlekush said a fire was reported at an apartment complex on Traceway Drive off Fish Hatchery Road around 1:30 p.m.

Fire crews arrived to sounding alarms, but they couldn’t find an active fire. After a search of the building, crews found a single sprinkler had triggered and put out a kitchen fire before it spread.

Because the sprinkler activated quickly, fire damage was limited to the immediate area of the kitchen.

The complex’s residents were briefly evacuated, but were able to return home within an hour.

Mlekush said without the automatic sprinkler system, it was “highly likely” the entire building would have been compromised by the fire.

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