“We feel the receptacle of the air conditioner experienced some kind of electrical short,” he said. The short then ignited items being stored in the building, Bennett said.
“We know clearly it was a delayed response,” he said.
Bennett said the fire created heavy smoke conditions “within a matter of minutes” and the fire vented through the roof. The roof and interior of the building, which Bennett describes as an annex, was completely destroyed.
The building had a laundry area in its basement. Medical equipment, such as beds and supplies, and medical records were stored on the ground floor.
A damage estimate has yet to be determined, but Bennett said it may exceed $100,000.
The chief said patients in the south wing of the main building of the nursing facility were moved to the north wing, but said some patients with medical conditions presented some challenges. While no one was injured in the fire, a hint of the smell of smoke is recognizable in the south wing of the main building, Bennett said.
No one was in the annex at the time of the fire, he said.
The building, which is approximately 30 feet by 30 feet, did not have a fire alarm system nor sprinklers, and Bennett said there was no requirement for there to be. The main building is equipped with an alarm and sprinkler systems.
Hamilton and Colerain Twp. provided mutual aid. Hamilton responded with a medic unit and fire engine, and Colerain Twp. responded with a fire engine.
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