A fire alarm activated at 1705 Pavilion Way at 11:33 p.m. Friday (Sept. 6) and as Park Ridge firefighters responded, the RED Center was receiving calls of smoke in the ground level parking garage and on the third floor of the building.
One company, checking the garage, found a burning odor and water leaking through the ceiling.
Other companies went to the second floor and entered the residential unit above the garage ceiling leak. Inside there was a burning odor and smoky haze, Sorensen said, but there was no fire there or any active sprinkler heads releasing water.
The unit next door had water, and they found a bathroom fire there had been extinguished.
“The fire sprinkler system had activated (only one sprinkler head) and had prevented the fire from spreading throughout the structure,” Sorensen said. “Most importantly, no residents or fire personnel were injured.
“The successful activation of a fire sprinkler system limited the damage to the structure and its contents,” he added.
“While the fire sprinklers are designed with fire safety in mind, they typically use a fraction of the water that fire hoses do in order to contain a fire, thus protecting property as well. Since 2001, fire sprinklers have been a requirement in all new construction in Park Ridge, including single-family homes,” Sorensen added.
For information on residential fire sprinklers, visit the website www.firesprinklerassoc.org.
