[Press Release] : Apartment fire at Paquin Towers controlled by automatic fire sprinkler system

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Battalion Chief Steven E. Sapp - Public Information Officer
(573) 874-7557

Apartment fire at Paquin Towers controlled by automatic fire sprinkler
system

COLUMBIA, MO (January 12, 2006) -- Columbia firefighters were called to
a report of a fire in an apartment on the 4th floor of Paquin Towers
Apartments at 1201 Paquin Street at 9:01 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12.
Firefighters were told while responding to the call, that a second
caller reported smoke in the hallways on the 4th floor. 

Firefighters arrived to find a sofa in apartment 401 smoldering. The
automatic fire sprinkler system, installed throughout the building in
2002, had activated and extinguished the fire before firefighters
arrived. 

This scenario would have been much different before the automatic fire
sprinkler system was installed. Several fires in Paquin Towers caused
extensive damage to the building when there was no automatic fire
suppression system. In addition to the sprinkler system, the building is
now also equipped with smoke detection and the elevators upgraded to
include firefighter over-ride devices. 

The apartment resident had safely evacuated and was not injured. No
other occupants or firefighters were injured. 

Fire investigators determined that the cause of the fire was careless
smoking, with smoking materials placed to close to the sofa. Fire damage
estimates are less then $1,000.

- 30 -
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