We had a reported structure fire with flow alarm at the Elizabeth Crossing
Apartment Complex (Apt. F-5),
in Waterloo, NY yesterday.
We issued the Certificate of Occupancy for this complex in 2007. It has six
apartment buildings
and one recreation/public use building. Each building has eight apartments, four
upstairs and four
downstairs. All of the buildings are totally sprinkled and have automatic fire
alarm systems. The buildings
are constructed with light weight floor and roof trusses. The buildings are
placarded.
The Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched for a sprinkler flow alarm
at Elizabeth
Crossing Apartment Complex. The Waterloo Assistant Fire Chief lives about three
blocks away and
responded immediately to the scene. Upon his arrival the E911 Center had
received a verbal confirmation
of a fire in the bathroom of apartment F-5. The tenant in apartment F-5 was
utilizing the bathroom,
smoking and flicking ashes into a plastic trash receptacle (with tissues in it),
next to the commode. Upon
completing his business, the tenant exited the bathroom leaving the ceiling fan
on (for obvious reasons),
closing the door behind. Moments later, the tenant smelled smoke and heard the
flow of water in the
bathroom. He also said he heard a bell ringing (outside sprinkler bell), at the
same time. He opened the
bathroom door to find the sidewall sprinkler head activated and had extinguished
the fire that spread from
the plastic trash receptacle, up the side of the vanity cabinet. At that time
the Assistant Fire Chief arrived
on scene and evacuated the rest of the apartment building. Upon verification the
fire was out, the sprinkler
system riser was shut off to prevent any further water damage.
Although the fire was small in nature, (as most are in the incipient stage), the
fact still remains the
sprinkler system prevented a loss of life and property. Light water damage was
sustained to the apartment
below and the carpeting in the fire apartment. There was “NO” structural damage.
All tenants evacuated
with minimal smoke. In fact, the smoke was held to a minimum due to the exhaust
fan in the bathroom
running at the time of the fire thus, ventilating a lot of the incipient smoke.
The sprinkler head was replaced, the system charged, fire alarm reset, and all
electrical systems
certified (including replacement of the bathroom exhaust fan). All tenants are
back in there apartments
today. If that is not a testimonial to why sprinkler systems should be mandated
in all residences, I don’t
know what would be more factual.
Ken Canfield
Seneca County Code Enforcement
31 Thurber Dr.
Waterloo NY, 13165