Fire officials say burned Juneau apartment building was high-risk

by The Associated Press Associated Press

Nathan Young, the fire department's chief training officer, said lack of a sprinkler system, numerous void spaces and poor exterior access are among factors that make the 95-year-old downtown building a dangerous "target hazard" in terms of firefighting. The building burned last week.

"This is an extremely dangerous building," Young told the Juneau Empire (http://is.gd/saMWuJ). "If you were to rate the severity of danger in a building, let's say from one to 10, this is an 11, when you look at firefighting in general."

Other older buildings in the downtown historic area are considered hazards, particularly because they are close to each other and are not required to have sprinkler systems.

Charlie Ford, a city building codes official, said buildings are subjected codes in place when they are constructed. The G astineau Apartments were built in 1917 before codes were in place, so the building and other buildings in town are not required by the International Building Code to have sprinklers.

The fire department has recommended retrofitting the buildings in the past, but the idea was usually met with resistance because of the cost involved, Young said. He believes a sprinkler system could have made a difference in last week's apartment fire.

"If this was a sprinklered building with a properly operating sprinkler system, this would have been a very small fire that would have been put out in minutes," Young said.

No injuries or fatalities were reported in the blaze, which burned for nine hours and displaced about 50 residents. The building has since been condemned until it is safe to re-enter.

Also of concern are the void spaces in the building, which has been renovated many times over the years.

"It's been added on to and renovated so many different times that th ere are numerous void spaces which the fire can get into and run uncontrolled, and you don't even know it until it pops up in a completely different part of the building," Young said.

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Fire officials say burned Juneau apartment building was high-risk