Fire Department

A water leak from a malfunctioning toilet forced a power outage at a downtown property, affecting building residents and a restaurant below.

Engine Co. 1 responded to 380 W. Washington Avenue at 3:02 a.m. and met with an occupant who explained their toilet flushing mechanism was broken, and the toilet had been flushing for several hours. They reported they made multiple attempts to summon help from building maintenance and local plumbers before reaching out to 911.

Firefighters found standing water in the caller’s apartment and the water reached the adjacent hallway. Firefighters went door to door to advise neighbors to place towels down at their door to prevent water from entering their units. Water also ran through several void spaces and chases in the building and ultimately reached the main electrical supply, forcing a power outage that affected the entire building.

Property management arrived and shut off the toilet’s water supply. With imminent hazards under control, Engine Co. 1 turned the property back over to the owner. Cleanup and mitigation efforts are expected to continue Thursday.