Dryer Catches Fire, but Sprinkler Does the Job

Whenever there is a positive take-way, minimal damage and no injuries on an emergency call, the Novato Fire District is happy.

On Wednesday, a stacked washer-drier unit in an exterior closet caught fire next to a downtown Novato apartment, and the only loss was a few clothes.

Firefighters responded to 1599 South Novato Boulevard after a 12:43 p.m. call and found that a sprinkler system had done most of the work on the electrical fire, which took place on the patio of an apartment.

Battalion Chief Jeff Veliquette said the fire remained contained to the exterior closet and firefighters only needed to spray down the closet with a water-loaded fire extinguisher. Veliquette said the problem could have been a mechanical failure in the heating unit or another source.

"The sprinklers knocked it down," Veliquette said. "The take-home message is that sprinklers did their job and held it off long enough for us to do our job. Otherwise this could have easily spread into the apartment."

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