LAKE HAVASU CITY
www.lhcaz.gov
Charlie Cassens
Communications & Intergovernmental Affairs
Office
– (928) 854-4212 Cell – (928) 486-8879 Fax – (928) 680-4892
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September
26, 2007
Fire
Sprinkler Activation Credited with Saving Lives and Property
At approximately 6:30 Tuesday
morning (September 25), a neighbor noticed smoke coming from the garage of a
duplex in the 3000 block of Mockingbird Drive. His quick actions alerted a young mother and
her 2-week old baby who were able to evacuate the residence safely.
Three fire engines, one ladder
truck, a command unit and several support personnel responded to find a vehicle
on fire in the garage. Fire crews
quickly contained the fire with the assistance of a fire sprinkler system that
had activated a single head directly above the vehicle.
Fire damage to the residence and vehicle
was estimated at $4,500. The cause of
the fire appears to be an electrical short in the dashboard of the vehicle. With some minor clean up, the occupants were
not displaced and were able to return to the unit.
According to Fire Marshal Chip
Shilosky, this is yet another example of the effectiveness of fire sprinklers. Recently, a fire of similar circumstances started
in a vehicle parked in the carport of a duplex that did not have a fire
sprinkler system. That fire caused over
$300,000 in damage and displaced the occupants of both units for an unknown
period of time. Fortunately, there were
no injuries reported in either of these fires.
For additional information on this
incident or the installation of fire sprinklers, contact Fire Marshal Chip
Shilosky at 928/453-3313 or the Lake Havasu City Fire Department 855-1141.