MAY 2019
Fire in Apartment Building for Veterans Extinguished by a Single Fire Sprinkler
HINES, IL (May 24, 2019) –A single fire sprinkler extinguished a stove-top fire in the kitchen area of a first floor unit at the Freedom Path Hines apartments at 5000 S. 5th Avenue.
The occupant told firefighters that she was warming up grease in a pan when the grease caught fire. The occupant tried to extinguish the fire using water from the sink that caused the fire to spread.
All occupants evacuated the building where audio and visual alarms were present.
“Cooking in a multi-family building account for roughly 46% of all residential fires. The fire sprinkler confined the fire and extinguished it by the time of the fire department’s arrival with minimal damage. This resulted in minimal displacement of occupants and no injuries or fatalities. With the high percentage of cooking fires in a residential setting, sprinklers serve a purpose and save lives and property,” said Lieutenant Anthony Monks of the Broadview Fire Department.
The estimated savings from the fire sprinkler’s quick response extinguishing the fire is $10,000 and more importantly, there were no injuries or fatalities.
Source: Anthony Monks, Lieutenant, Broadview Fire Department
MARCH 2019
A single fire sprinkler extinguished a fire in a Rock Island apartment building
ROCK ISLAND, IL (March 25, 2019) – In the late afternoon on March 25th, a single fire sprinkler extinguished a fire in the Sala Apartments in Rock Island.
A stove fire started on the third floor of the apartment unit of the building. Heat from the fire activated the fire sprinkler putting out the flames before firefighters arrived. “The residents evacuated safely and there were no injuries. This fire was limited to a few hundred dollars instead of a multimillion-dollar loss if the fire had spread throughout the building!!” as stated on the fire department’s Facebook page.
Source: Rock Island Fire Department Facebook
Fire Sprinkler Extinguished a Fire in a Bedroom of Condominium
PALATINE, IL (March 14, 2019) – A fire sprinkler prevented a fire from becoming deadly in a condominium bedroom. The Palatine Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in a fifth-floor unit. Upon arrival firefighters found smoke and water in the hallway. Upon entry, firefighters found the fire was extinguished by the fire sprinkler. Damage was limited to the master bedroom, closet, and bathroom.
The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. There were no injuries.
According to a Palatine Fire Department press release, “Automatic fire sprinklers are highly effective and reliable elements of a total fire protection system. When fire sprinklers are present, fires were kept to the room of origin 97 percent of the time (U.S. Experience with Sprinklers, NFPA report, 2017). This fire is an excellent example of automatic fire sprinkler effectiveness.”
Source: Palatine Fire Department
A fire sprinkler contained a grease fire in apartment unit kitchen
ROCKFORD, IL – (March 12, 2019) – A fire sprinkler contained a cooking grease fire in an apartment unit at a Rockford apartment building early morning on Tuesday, March 12th.
The Rockford Fire Department responded to a call of a grease fire in the kitchen. A pan caught on fire spreading flames toward the lower part of a cabinet. The tenant attempted to put out the fire, but then quickly ran to the door with children she was watching. Upon arrival, the fire crew found the woman at the door. Firefighters saw that a fire sprinkler activated and contained the fire. Fire crews put out the remaining flame.
Paramedics treated the tenant for a minor burn on her arm from moving the pan. There were no other injuries and everyone expected to be OK. Damage loss estimate is $25,000.
Sources: rrstar.com and Sprinkler saves
Fire Sprinkler Extinguished Fire In Lake Zurich Townhome
LAKE ZURICH, IL (March 6, 2019) – A single fire sprinkler extinguished a fire on the upper floor of a three-story townhome in Lake Zurich. Bob Kleinheinz, Fire Prevention Specialist with the Lake Zurich Fire Department said, “We had a save last night, I was first in, fire was completely out.”
According to a release from the Lake Zurich Fire Department, the first units arrived on the scene within four minutes of receiving the call to find the fire extinguished by the sprinkler. There was an preliminary damage estimate of $25,000 with an estimated $350,000 in property and contents was saved. There were no reports of firefighter injuries and one occupant was transported to a local hospital in stable condition with burns. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In September 2009, Lake Zurich passed an NFPA 13D ordinance requiring home fire sprinklers in all new construction single-family and townhomes. More than 110 Illinois towns and fire districts require fire sprinklers in all new construction.
Source: Lake Zurich Fire Department
Kitchen Fire Extinguished by Single Fire Sprinkler in High-Rise Building
SCHAUMBURG, IL – (March 4, 2019) – A single fire sprinkler extinguished a kitchen fire in a residential high-rise building on Valley Lake Drive. During the evening of March 4, the Schaumburg Fire Department responded to a general fire alarm. Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire was extinguished by the fire sprinkler. The cause of the fire was from cooking.
This residential high-rise occupancy was required to install fire sprinklers as part of Schaumburg’s high-rise retrofit ordinance. The fire department kept the sprinkler system isolated on the floor limiting fire damage to approximately $6,000.
Source: Village of Schaumburg Fire Marshal