Tragedy averted after fire at senior living facility

A sprinkler helped prevent a fire at a senior living facility from spreading into the residential units early Wednesday morning.

It started about 3:25 a.m. in a clothes dryer at the four-story, 147-unit Chateau Pacific Senior Living community in the 3300 block of 148th St. SW. Firefighters were notified by an automatic alarm system. By the time they got there, the sprinkler had mostly doused the flames.

“A fire like this at a time of the morning when most residents are sleeping could have resulted in tragedy, but one sprinkler head was able to keep the fire contained to the clothes dryer,” said Leslie Hynes, spokesperson for Fire District 1. “This is an excellent example of how sprinklers can react quickly to save lives and reduce property damage.”

Damage is estimated at $6,000. No one was hurt. An investigator believes the fire was most likely started by a plastic item that melted and ignited inside the dryer after accidentally getting mixed in with a load of napkins.

Chateau Pacific Senior Living community

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