An unattended heating pad is to blame for a fire at an Old North retirement home that caused $30,000 damage, London firefighters say.
Fire crews were called to a fire at the Manor Village retirement community at 230 Victoria Street shortly after 7 p.m. Monday.
The alarm company called 911 and when firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from a fourth floor apartment.
Residents and staff exited the building. No injuries were reported, the fire department said in a statement.
The building’s sprinkler system had gone off inside the smoke-filled apartment, helping knock down the flames.
Living room furniture in the apartment was damaged by fire and smoke permeated the unit. Water from the activated sprinkler system damaged other units.
Fire investigators from the department found an unattended heating pad was left too close to combustible items, enough to ignite a living room chair.
Damage to the apartment and building is estimated at $30,000.
Source: Fire sparked by heating pad causes $30k damage to retirement home | The London Free Press