Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Sprinkler extinguishes Hailey apartment fire

---

By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

An overhead fire-suppression sprinkler was credited with putting out a small blaze Monday afternoon at the Balmoral apartments in the Woodside area of Hailey.

Hailey Fire Department Deputy Chief Carl Hjelm said damage could have been much worse but the "system worked exactly as it was supposed to work."

The fire department was called to a first-story apartment at Balmoral Building A at about 1:15 p.m., but Hjelm said the fire had been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived.

He said the fire was in a utility closet where a gas water heater was kept. Hjelm speculated that inadequate ventilation to the heater allowed soot to build up in the vent pipes and the soot apparently ignited.

"There was a sprinkler in the utility closet and it handled the fire," Hjelm said. "There was a little bit of water damage but no injuries to the residents or the fire fighters."

comprare viagra
comprar viagra
acheter viagra

Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com