firesprinkler.tv Fire sprinkler |
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firesprinkler.tv Fire sprinkler |
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A broken sprinkler line that emitted a suspicious smell prompted an evacuation of a Salem adult center Tuesday, officials said.
The incident was reported about 11:40 a.m. at Center 50+, 2615 Portland Rd NE.
People inside reported smelling what seemed to be natural gas after a pipe was broken near the main office, said Salem Fire Battalion Chief Frank Stevenson.
Fire crews swept the building with meters designed to detect harmful gases and did not register natural-gas inside.
The building was evacuated, said director Marilyn Daily.
Participants in the center’s respite care program, who have Alzheimer’s, were evacuated onto a charter bus to keep warm until their families could pick them up, Daily said.
Fire authorities determined the smell was caused when crews at the center accidentally drilled a hole into a sprinkler line, which then released water sitting inside the pipes, Deputy Fire Marshal Jeff Mack said.
The water, mixed with the oils used inside the sprinkler pipes, gave off a bad odor that smelled like natural gas, but is harmless, he said.
The building was reopened at 5 p.m. and regularly scheduled activities continued.
Tags: Broken sprinkler causes evacuation at Center 50+ becaus