Photo: Interior of burned apartment
On Friday, August 4th, at approximately 6 PM, Prescott Regional Communications Center (PRCC) received a 911 call regarding a fire alarm and sprinkler activation at Prescott Lakes Senior Living Community. Shortly after the initial call, PRCC began to receive additional calls for fire and black smoke visible from a third-story apartment. Due to the structure’s size and the number of residents, the assignment was upgraded to a second alarm. This upgraded assignment consisted of seven engines, two truck companies, three ambulances, one drone, and two Battalion Chiefs.
Prescott Police Department was first on the scene and, due to their decisive actions, likely saved the lives of the resident in the apartment and the adjacent residences. The first arriving engine company found smoke and fire coming from a third-story apartment and evacuations in place. Fire crews placed ladders on the complex’s exterior to gain quick access to the apartment on fire. With the assistance of the fire sprinkler system in place, fire crews were able to make a rapid extinguishment of the fire and prevent it from spreading to the rest of the complex. Additional fire engines on the scene assisted with smoke ventilation and the evacuations of the elderly residents. Because of the apartment complex’s demographics, multiple residents could not evacuate their apartments. The decision to have these residents shelter in place was made by fire personnel after it was deemed that they were in no immediate harm. After approximately thirty minutes, fire crews deemed the fire out. One Prescott Police Department officer was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. One of the complex’s residents had a syncopal [fainting] episode after being evacuated. The patient was transported to Yavapai Regional Medical Center by AMR for further evaluation. There were no additional injuries during the incident.
Unfortunately, due to the amount of water discharged by the fire sprinkler system and fire personnel, there was extensive water damage to all three complex floors, including an electrical room that provided power to one-half of the complex. The decision was made by fire personnel, the City of Prescott Building Department, and the utility companies that it would be unsafe for the affected residents to return to their apartments. However, if the fire sprinkler system were not in place, the outcome of the incident would have been much different. The fire in this apartment was contained by a single sprinkler head that quickly activated, aiding suppression efforts. According to a report from the National Fire Protection Agency, fire sprinklers are successful in confining fire spread to the room of origin 95 percent of the time in structures with sprinkler systems, compared to 71 percent of properties without. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. It is still being determined how long the affected portion of the complex will be without power.
With the assistance of the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross, a temporary shelter was established at the Humboldt Unified School District Offices in Prescott Valley. Approximately 90 residents and several of their pets were displaced because of the incident, many of which stayed with local family and friends or at local hotels. 11 residents chose to stay at the Red Cross Shelter.
The Prescott Fire Department would like to sincerely thank the efforts of the Prescott Regional Communications Center, the Prescott Police Department, the Central Arizona Fire Medical Authority, the City of Prescott Building Department, AMR, the Yavapai Office of Emergency Management, the Red Cross, the Arizona Crisis Team, and the Prescott Lakes Apartments staff. The successful outcome of the incident is a direct result of the professionalism of all those involved and preestablished relationships in place.
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