Wake Forest, NC – Sprinkler system contains fire at retirement community; No injuries reported

Multiple people were forced to evacuate after a fire at a Wake Forest retirement community.

Town of Wake Forest officials say the fire broke out at The Lodge at Wake Forest located on 1151 S. Main St. Firefighters say it started in a unit on the ground floor just after 8 p.m. Thursday night.

Officials say the sprinkler system in the facility contained most of the fire before firefighters extinguished the rest.

Between six and nine units suffered smoke damage, officials say.

A resident who evacuated told CBS 17 that she heard the fire alarms go off, but didn’t think anything of it because of recent false alarms. She says when she went to check on her neighbor, she saw smoke and flames.

“She tried to push her button, we all wear buttons around here. She could raise anybody so I called 911…. the smoke had got down to maybe about hip level, the smoke was that far down and thick I couldn’t breathe, I was coughing. So I just came back in and shut the door and went outside,” said Sheila Brantley.

Officials say there were no serious injuries and nobody had to be taken to the hospital.