A small electrical fire resulted in the evacuation of Maison Jardin Senior Living Community Monday night, with the Morgan City Fire Department crediting the staff for a smooth and quick evacuation.
At approximately 8:40 pm, the Morgan City Fire Department was dispatched to Maison Jardin in regards to a fire alarm. While the first responding unit did not report anything showing, the second unit reported seeing smoke coming from the roof. A second alarm was then called for additional manpower.
Morgan City Assistant Fire Chief John MacDougall said the staff of Maison Jardin did a fantastic job of evacuating the residents in a safe and very timely manner, adding that you could not draw it up any better.
MacDougall said firefighters could smell smoke on the first floor of the building and discovered a fire that was confined to a large electric water heater with a capacity of 80 – 100 gallons. The water heater is located in a dedicated mechanical room. An airway chase was able to funnel the smoke through the roof. MacDougall added that it appeared a thermostat was worn and overheated. He said the contractor did a great job by installing the water heater correctly.
Firefighters were able to clean up water in the hallway and removed the smoke from the facility.
MacDougall also stressed the importance of electrical and building codes. He credited the codes of keeping the residents safe and the fire confined to a small area.