MAY 11, 2023:
A new fire alarm system has been credited with the quick response to a fire in one unit of an apartment building on the 1100 block of East Church Street in Pierre over the weekend (May 7, 2023).
Fire Chief Ian Paul says the resident wasn’t home when the small fire started Sunday evening (5pm CT), but the alarm got firefighters rolling early.
People are typically reminded to check our smoke detector batteries twice a year in the spring and fall when we change our clocks. But, Paul says checking them more frequently certainly never hurts….. even if they have a long lasting battery.
The apartment unit where Sunday’s fire was suffered heat and heavy smoke damage, but a pet inside did not suffer any serious injuries. The remainder of the apartment complex did not suffer any damage.
Although not believed to be suspicious, the cause of the fire is under investigation.
MAY 8, 2023:
The Pierre Fire Department was dispatched to a report of fire alarms sounding in the apartment complex at the 1100 block of East Church on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at approximately 5:00 pm. When firefighters arrived they noted evacuation was in progress but no signs of fire were present.
Shortly after arrival firefighters discovered light smoke coming from an apartment door on the first floor. “Firefighters made entry into the apartment after discovering the fire and it was quickly extinguished,” said Fire Chief Ian Paul.” We did have to evacuate smoke from all three floors of the apartment complex as a result of the fire.”
The unit involved with fire suffered heat and heavy smoke damage. The remainder of the apartment complex did not suffer any damage and all other tenants were able to return to their units.
The lone occupant was not in the unit at the time of the fire. A family pet was in the unit however did not suffer any serious injuries.
Firefighters give credit to a new fire alarm system that was recently installed in the apartment complex. “The fire alarm system did its job by detecting the fire early and alerting occupants, said Chief Paul.”
Firefighters were on scene of the fire for approximately two hours. Other responders on scene included Ft. Pierre Fire, AMR, and law enforcement.
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