RUTLAND CITY — On a freezing Monday morning, around six dozen people were forced out of their Sheldon Towers apartments after an isolated stove top fire set off the sprinkler system, causing significant water damage throughout the building.
The Rutland City Fire Department responded to the scene Monday morning around 11 am, and found the sprinkler system extinguished the fire on the sixth floor, said Fire Department Chief William Lovett. The tenant of the unit with the fire had some smoke inhalation, but otherwise no one was harmed by the fire, Lovett said.
“We had all of our crews come in, and then we also asked the Rutland Town Fire (Department) to come in so that we could help limit the amount of damage done to the building and get the people out of the building safely,” Lovett said.
Sheldon Towers is a 10-story building with 74 units, owned and managed by Rutland Housing Authority. The building, located near the intersection of Route 7 and Route 4 in Rutland City, primarily serves older adults and people with disabilities.
Housing Authority’s executive director and CEO Kevin Loso said 73 people were displaced on Monday, and the Authority has been working to find residents emergency motel housing if they were not able to stay with family or friends. The Authority also helped residents gain access to medications and shelter for pets.
“We secured housing for everyone last night that needed it,” Loso said. “We were able to secure the necessary resources to ensure that immediate needs were met.”
While no one was harmed, Loso said a few residents were brought to the Rutland Regional Medical Center due to anxiety from the event or pre-existing medical conditions.
Loso said he hopes the Authority will get the go-ahead to open up 50 units by the end of the day Tuesday, but at least 18 units have significant electrical damage, and some units may need to be cleared out for remediation.
A local firm called G.W. Savage is conducting the water damage assessment and restoration work, Loso said.
The water damage primarily impacted the units from the sixth floor down to the second floor, Loso said. But, the Authority cannot reenergize housing units until the electrical damage is fully assessed by the Division of Fire Safety, Building Inspector and the Authority’s electrician, he said.
The Rutland Area community mobilization effort was “extraordinary,” Loso said.
Along with the local fire departments and Rutland City’s Emergency Management Services’ response, the American Red Cross and the Open Door Mission help provide “food and blankets and everything else that was needed in order to get people through yesterday,” Loso said.
