By Nevin Batiwalla
The Brunswick News
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Fire officials credit an alarm and sprinkler system for preventing what could have been a potentially tragic fire at an assisted living facility at one of Brunswick’s oldest buildings during the predawn hours Wednesday.
“If the sprinkler system wasn’t there, people wouldn’t have gotten out of there. No way,” said Brunswick Fire Marshal Jose Juarbe.
More than 20 residents of Harpers Joy apartments were forced to evacuate the three-story building at 519 Norwich St. at about 4:52 a.m. when fire broke out in a wall.
A fire alarm at the facility for people with mental disabilities alerted the Brunswick Fire Department, which had firefighters on the scene within four minutes.
By the time they arrived, the sprinkler system had contained much of the blaze.
No one was injured, and damage was limited to four rooms and the hallways.
Fire safety measures, such as the smoke detector, sprinkler system and fire alarm and training drills, saved lives, officials said.
Residents of the facility had just gone through a fire drill Tuesday, the day before the fire.
Juarbe can’t say enough about taking proper safety precautions.
“A sprinkler system is like having a firefighter in your house 24/7,” he said.
In addition to saving lives, it saved one of Brunswick’s oldest buildings. The structure, built in the early 1900s, was the original Brunswick Hospital.
Were it not for the sprinkler system, “the entire building would be on the ground right now,” said Rhett Fairfield, fire inspector with the Brunswick Fire Department.
Fairfield, who is heading the fire investigation, said the fire started in the walls between the first and second floors.
The fire broke through a wall and ignited a recliner, which fueled the flames, Fairfield said.
While no official cause has been determined, Fairfield said they have ruled out foul play and human error.
From the dedicated preparation to the clockwork-like response of city firefighters, Wednesday’s fire could be a poster-child for fire safety, Juarbe said.
“This is what success stories are made of,” he said. “I don’t get happy about fires, but I’m jumping for joy for this one because it could have been 100 times worse.”
A work crew began clearing debris and vacuuming water Wednesday afternoon, and by today, the apartment management said, things should get back to normal for those living at Harpers Joy.
Residents of the two rooms that were damaged were moved to vacant rooms in the building.
Copyright 2009