Antioch, CA – Laundry fire at assisted living facility contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A commercial dryer at an Antioch assisted living facility caught fire Tuesday, displacing dozens of elderly residents and Alzheimer’s patients. Firefighters responded at 1:15 p.m. to the one-alarm fire at Country Place Assisted Living, 1715 Olive Lane, said Contra Costa County Fire District Capt. George Laing.

The flames activated a sprinkler directly above the dryer, containing the fire that crews extinguished by 1:41 p.m. after ensuring that flames had not traveled from the dryer’s vent to the ceiling, he said. “This is what we call a good fire sprinkler save,” Laing said.

Although the damage was minor and there were no reports of injuries, the incident required authorities to shut off the building’s water supply and electricity so ConFire’s emergency medical services division had to find alternative temporary housing for the 49 residents, Laing said. Working with the county’s Local Emergency Medical Services Authority, the department had relocated them all to another facility in Antioch by mid-afternoon, he said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.