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Sunday’s heat trips sprinkler system at West Kootenay seniors’ home

Interior Health was still assessing the damage at Grand Forks’ Hardy View Lodge as of Sunday evening
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Grand Forks Fire/Rescue volunteers attended Sunday’s incident at the Hardy View Lodge. Photo: Laurie Tritschler

Thirteen seniors were flooded out of their rooms at Grand Forks, B.C’s Hardy View Lodge after extreme heat tripped a fire sprinkler at the residential care facility late Sunday afternoon, June 27.

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The residents have been safely relocated either to family homes or to rooms in the neighbouring Boundary Hospital, an Interior Health (IH) Authority spokesperson told The Grand Forks Gazette at around 5:15 p.m. No residents or staff were hurt, according to IH and Grand Forks Fire/Rescue.

Fire Chief George Seigler said the sprinkler went off at Hardy View’s J. Annesely Manor when an attic overheated, triggering the building’s fire suppression system at around 3:30 p.m. The sprinkler dumped around 2.25 centimetres (one inch) of water on the floor before it was shut off around 40 minutes later, he continued.

IH hasn’t confirmed the extent of the damage, saying only that the sprinkler went off in a dining room.

It was 41 C in Grand Forks by 4:15 p.m., with temperatures of 45 C predicted for Tuesday, June 29, according to Environment Canada’s website.

Around five volunteer firefighters attended Sunday’s scene, including Chief Seigler.


 

@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca

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laurie.tritschler@boundarycreektimes.com

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