SFD responds to a storage unit fire (Photo courtesy Sedona Fire District)

Sedona AZ (May 31, 2018) – At 11:35 this morning, Sedona Fire District was dispatched to the Stormaster Storage Units on Shelby Drive, west Sedona, after receiving a call about a storage unit on fire. Upon arrival, SFD crews discovered that the fire had been extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system.

“When we arrived on scene, there was some residual smoke, but the fire had been extinguished,” said Captain Ralph Kurtz. “It worked. The sprinkler system performed exactly like it should have and saved not only the entire building, but most of the belongings inside the storage unit itself.”

Firefighters spent the next hour moving salvageable belongings out of the unit, and made sure that no fire remained. Just one unit was involved, although a neighboring storage unit received some slight water damage when water seeped under the wall. Damage is estimated under $5,000 to the building and units contents, and no injuries were reported.

Fire investigators determined that the fire started when a renter lit an incense stick while cleaning out the unit. The renter left the site with the incense still burning and returned to find firefighters on scene.

“People often ask me about the value of sprinkler systems,” said Fire Marshal Jon Davis. “This incident really proves why they are being required in more and more properties. What could have been a major conflagration with losses into the hundreds of thousands or more was kept relatively small. Most importantly, my firefighters were not exposed to a large fire and all of the inherent dangers that are associated with it.”

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