Extensive water damage after Gaylord Towers fire

Thursday, February 6, 2014 10:11 PM EST

By JUSTIN MUSZYNSKI STAFF WRITER

BRISTOL A minor apartment fire at the Gaylord Towers senior housing complex Thursday afternoon resulted in extensive water damage from the buildings sprinkler system.

Officials said the fire at 55 Gaylord St. began in the kitchen of a sixth-floor apartment. Deputy Chief Mark McCarthy said the call came in around 3 p.m. and the sprinkler system kept the fire contained until firefighters arrived.

The fire was pretty minor, said McCarthy. The bigger problem was the water damage to the floors below.

Floors 6 and 7 were evacuated because there was heavy smoke in the building, McCarthy said. The sprinklers pretty much held the fire in check. It looks like it was mostly kitchen cabinets that were burned.

No injuries were reported.

Mayor Ken Cockayne said many, many people were displaced by the fire.

He said 34 families were forced out by damage caused when the sprinkler system went off because of the fire.

The mayor said the displaced people are being taken in school buses to the DoubleTree Bristol by Hilton Hotel. He said the hotel has been oustanding in rushing to help out.

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Extensive water damage after Gaylord Towers fire