Yuma, Arizona - Yesterday, just before 1:15 pm, a fire was reported at the La Posada Apartments, 1980 West 30th Street. Yuma Fire Department personnel arrived to find a stovetop fire had occurred in an apartment and the fire had been extinguished by the fire suppression sprinkler system. A pot of oil had splashed and was ignited by the stove’s burner.
The fire was extinguished before it could spread to the rest of the kitchen.
There were no injuries and the fire was contained to the burner and pot of oil. Only the sprinkler head closest to the stove had activated. Firefighters stopped the flow of water and assisted with removing of water from the apartment.
Fire sprinkler systems can keep fires from spreading and can also extinguish them. Fires spread quickly and can double in size every minute. Even small fires can cause serious damage to property and endanger those nearby. Contrary to many Hollywood portrayals, only sprinkler heads directly exposed to the heat activate, not those in the rest of the room, building, or complex. Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.