Office Fire Contained; Alert Employee and Single Sprinkler Save the Day

Just before 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, Linda Jackson, employee of at 31 Business Park Drive, called 911 to report a fire. Immediately, , and were dispatched.

The sole employee working in her company’s space at the time, Jackson said she became aware of the fire when she heard “things dropping.”

Looking for the cause of the sound, Jackson said she left her cubicle and rounded the corner near the computer room. It was then that she saw smoke and orange flames. Jackson reports that she used her cell phone to call emergency personnel and she then left the building. Ober-Read & Associates is one of more than eight businesses housed in the office building of 31 Business Park Drive.

In a matter of minutes, firefighters were on scene and Deputy Chief Ron Mullen said the fire was already squelched thanks to the hard work of a lone sprinkler. The fire department did not have to use the hose to extinguish the fire.

Because Jackson normally leaves her office earlier than she had today, she said her presence there was just good luck. “Normally, I wouldn’t be here,” she explained, “but I brought my mom to the doctor’s office this morning so I was making up the time. Good thing.” Jackson said she is one of five employees who works for the company.

Mullen was able to determine that the fire originated from some type of computer equipment – perhaps a modem or networking box – from the computer room where Jackson reported seeing the flames. The equipment was a charred remnant when the firefighters arrived and Jackson said she wasn't sure exactly what the computer hardware was. Mullen reported that several computers housed in the room suffered water damage as did area of the fire. No one was injured during the incident.

The department set up fans to blow the smoke from the building and according to Mullen, apart from being wet, the business was able to resume as normal.

Ober-Read & Associates is a sales representative of industrial pumps, motors and blowers with administrative work being conducted out the office at 31 Business Park Drive.