Government/Military, Other-Government/Military Richmond, KY – Sprinkler system stop fire at arts council building, saving artwork from damage February 2, 2017 viking210 The Richmond Area Arts Council building on West Water Street sustained slight smoke, fire and water damage Tuesday afternoon after a small fire broke out in the building’s basement. Late Tuesday afternoon as she carefully sloshed through water pooled in the art council’s basement, RAAC Executive Director Deborah Kidd recounted the moment staff knew something had gone wrong. “We were upstairs and started smelling smoke,” Kidd said. “We came down immediately and the sprinklers came on.” Kidd said employees evacuated the building and firefighters began showing up a short time later. “The firefighters have been fantastic and very thorough,” Kidd said. “While the sprinklers managed to put out the fire, they have made sure the smoke was aired out and no additional fires have cropped up.” Mark Murphy, assistant fire chief for the Richmond Fire Department, praised the RAAC’s sprinkler system Tuesday afternoon.” The sprinkler system did its job,” he explained. “When we got here, the fire was already contained and out. The sprinkler system stopped the fire from spreading.” Murphy said, according to preliminary investigations, the fire began around 2:30 p.m. in the RAAC’s mechanical room in the building’s basement. The origin was determined to be a heating and cooling unit housed in the room. The fire consumed the majority of the building’s heating unit, but the structure of the building sustained zero damage. An adjacent office sustained only slight smoke and water damage, Kidd said. Luckily, art currently on display at the RAAC from local artist Pat Banks was spared from the water, fire and smoke.” The art is just fine. None of Pat’s work was affected,” Kidd confirmed Tuesday. “We were lucky none of the artwork in the building was damaged.”
