FFD responds to Powerhouse apartment fire

The Fremont Fire Department responded to an early-morning blaze today at the Powerhouse Apartments located at 734 N. Park Ave. 
 
Captain Pat Tawney said the call came in at about 4:09 a.m. There were no injuries. 
 
“We’re attributing it to a candle that was on a nightstand,” he said. “We thought maybe it was an electrical fire behind the couch, but there was a candle that (a resident) said she had lit right next to the couch. You could see where the fire started right on the side of that couch.” 
 
The fire triggered automatic sprinklers in the fourth-floor apartment. 
 
“The sprinklers in that building did their job and the door was closed to the apartment so the fire was out when we got there,” the captain said. “But we didn’t know that because we hadn’t been inside. So by the time we got hose hauled up to that fourth floor, it took a while. We got guys picked up to get inside and then just got windows opened.” 
 
The biggest challenge at that point was to get the sprinkler system shut down. 
 
“There was heavy, heavy water damage because those sprinklers put out so much water in just a quick amount of time,” Tawney said. “Of course, it is on the fourth floor so you have water running all the way to the basement. That (water damage) is going to be their biggest cleanup issue. The apartment below the fire has water damage and that is all going to have to be taken care of.” 
 
Tawney estimates the initial damages at $100,000.
 
“But that might change,” he said. “Most of it is going to be clean-up from the water damage and the apartment (where the fire was) is going to need a lot of work. There was six inches of water in the carpet when we left.”
Firefighters were on the scene for about 90 minutes. The American Red Cross was also on the scene to provide assistance to the apartment occupants.