One person suffered burns and several residents were displaced when a fire broke out Thursday afternoon in a third-floor unit of the Fox Crossing apartment complex in downtown Burlington.
The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire and prevented it from “from engulfing the third-floor unit within minutes and expanding quickly to the other apartments,” according to City of Burlington Fire Chief Alan Babe.
Firefighters responded to the general fire alarm at the complex, 180 Bridge Street, at 12:33 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release issued by Babe. People were already evacuating from the two-building complex and the building’s sprinkler system was activated on the third floor of the southern-most of the two buildings.
The resident who suffered burns was transported to a hospital for treatment, according to officials. All other residents were evacuated without incident. Residents were later escorted into their apartments to retrieve pets and needed personal belongings.
The effected residents were provided with temporary housing until the investigation is complete and the involved units are deemed safe for habitation, according to Babe.
An estimate on the cost of damages was not available Friday morning, he said.
Babe praised the role the sprinkler system played in saving lives and property.
“Without the fire sprinkler system in place, the aftermath would have been devastating, resulting in serious risk to life or even total property damage,” he said in the news release.
In addition to the City of Burlington, fire units from the Town of Burlington and Rochester Fire Company responded. Responding units also received mutual aid from Salem Lakes and Lake Geneva.
The Racine Fire Bells provided on-site support to the responding units.
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