Crews were dispatched to 117-119 Main Street for fire alarm activation Monday, September 23 at 14:34 hours. Crews arrived on the scene at 14:37 to report nothing showing from the front of a four-story building. Captain Kurt Schmidt advised that there was a sprinkler flow in the building and that there was a smoke condition on the third floor, and requested the incident be upgraded to a first alarm. At 14:45, crews advised there was a fire in an apartment on the fourth floor. The sprinkler did hold the fire to that apartment.
Crews performed a primary search of that apartment and the rest of the building. Upon completing the primary search, crews confirmed the fire was controlled and no fire extension beyond the apartment. They began to find sprinkler controls to shut the sprinkler system down. The controls for the sprinkler system were in the basement of 119 Main Street; the door was locked and crews forced entry. Once crews had the sprinkler shut down, they began salvage operations. The apartments on 117 Main side and Beadniks sustained significant water damage. The incident was reported under control at 15:13 hours.
With the significant water damage to the apartments in 117 Main and Beadniks, the power had to be turned off to both 117 & 119 Main Street. A total of 13 people were displaced. Red Cross was notified and arranged housing for 3 of those folks and others have been able to stay with family or friends.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Electricians will be on scene today to determine if the power can be restored to 119 Main Street to allow for the people to reoccupy that side as well as for Trillium to reopen. Beadniks and the apartments at 117 Main Street will be unable to reoccupy for a considerable time. The incident did not cause any injuries.
Brattleboro Fire Department
103 Elliot Street * Brattleboro, VT 05301 * 802-254-4831 *
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