Fire officials: Sprinkler system lessened damage in Friday fire
December 03, 2011 12:27 PM
Area fire officials say quick thinking and a sprinkler system kept damage at a Jacksonville apartment complex to a minimum during a Friday afternoon fire.
Jacksonville Fire Chief Rick McIntyre told The Daily News Saturday that the 12:11 p.m. fire at 800 Kensington Drive began when the occupant ofapartment 502 was preparing to heat food on her stove and cooking oil overheated and caught fire.
“She attempted to use the fire extinguisher on it but the pan kept reigniting and she stepped out into the hallway and pulled the fire alarm which was a great idea,” McIntyre said.
While the occupant was pulling the fire alarm, a single sprinkler head in the apartment’s system was activated by the heat and put the fire out.
“The great thing about this fire — if there is such a thing — was the sprinkler system. By the time the fire department arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by the sprinkler system which had been installed when the apartment building was constructed,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre said the building, valued at $1.8 million, had $8,000 in damage, primarily to the apartment’s kitchen area and appliances.
Upon arrival seven minutes after the alarm was pulled, the fire department performed salvage and overhaul to remove water from the apartment and worked with the property maintenance crew to put the sprinkler system back in service, McIntyre said.
“Our goal was certainly to make sure the occupant was OK and that her apartment was OK and to get the other occupants of the apartment building back in as soon as we could. They were only out about 45 minutes to an hour … It all came together well and that’s because the sprinkler system did its job: to protect the occupants of the building and put the fire out,” he said.
McIntyre said no injuries were reported.
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