Ottawa Fire Chief Dan Rieman said Ottawa Fire Department responded to the fire call at 10:56 a.m. Saturday morning. Also responding to the fire were the Glandorf Fire Department and Putnam County EMS.
Rieman said it was a drier fire in the laundry room. The fire caused a sprinkler to go off, leaking water down the hallway of the nursing center. This required the residents to have to be evacuated from the facility.
The residents were initially taken across the parking lot to Ottawa Highland Lanes facility with the assistance of the Autumn Court staff members, fire volunteers, and EMS volunteers. Also responding to the scene to assist was the Putnam County Office of Public Safety and Red Cross.
Arrangements were then made to transport the residents to Ottawa Elementary School, a designated Red Cross shelter. Assisting with transportation was a bus provided by Smooth Cruises LLC and ambulettes provided by the Putnam County Office of Public Safety.
Ottawa-Glandorf staff was at the school to assist with the care of the residents. Later in the day, residents were able to return to their homes around 6 p.m.
“I want to thank everyone who helped us,” said Leticia Hull, a human resource staff member of Autumn Court. She said many Putnam County people stepped up to help in many ways on Saturday.
The website for Autumn Court describes the facility that provides 24-hour care skilled nursing, long-term care, physical, occupational and providing 24-hour speech therapies for those with behavioral issues or mental illness. And, four-hour skilled nursing, long-term care, physical, occupational, and speech therapies for those with behavioral issues or mental illness.
