SAULT STE. MARIE — Sault Ste. Marie Fire and EMS responded to a fire at a historic downtown building Tuesday morning after an alarm system reported a smoke alarm and later a sprinkler water flow alarm, fire officials said.
The call came into central dispatch around 7:40 a.m., according to the broadcast script. Firefighters received an updated notification indicating a sprinkler water flow alarm when they arrived.
Fire Chief Edwin Miller said recent reconstruction work on the building, including updated fire suppression features such as fire doors and compartmentation, helped limit the spread of the fire.
Miller said he suspected a stove in one apartment caught fire and believed a pet may have accidentally turned it on.
“There was a pet in the apartment, and we have all seen the videos where pets counter surf for food, then hit a button on a stove,” Miller said. “That right now is probably what we are leaning towards on how this occurred.”
Miller said the renter left about 15 to 20 minutes before the fire started and said they did not leave the stove on. Other tenants in the building evacuated, according to the script.