Fire Department

A fire alarm prompted the evacuation of a west side child care center Monday, with a malfunctioning heating unit to blame. 

Children and teachers at La Petite Academy evacuated the building in accordance with their fire evacuation protocol as Ladder Company 2 arrived to investigate the cause of the alarm. When a staff member reported there was smoke in the building, firefighters asked dispatchers to initiate a full structure fire response from other nearby firefighting companies. 

Ladder Company 2 entered the building and found smoke in one classroom. It was the only area in the building that contained smoke.

Just as other fire companies began examining the HVAC system, a furnace repair worker identified himself and stated he received a service request earlier that morning. The furnace repair worker pointed firefighters toward the unit he believed to have caused the smoke condition, saying a motor malfunctioned. Firefighters tested the unit and confirmed it was the source of the smoke and odor.

Crews ventilated the classrooms and checked the building for harmful gases before inviting the children and teachers back inside.