On Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 3:51 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting a fire in the laundry room of a three-story apartment complex in the 800 block of N Rengstorff Avenue. The occupants of the apartment complex self-evacuated before fire crews arrived on the scene.

City of Mountain View Fire Department units were dispatched at 3:51 p.m. and the first engine company arrived on the scene at 3:54 p.m. The first engine on the scene arrived to find smoke on the third floor and heavy smoke isolated to the laundry room. The first in-engine company found an active sprinkler system in the laundry room when the ensuing heat from the fire rose to a level causing the sprinklers to activate.

Firefighters discontinued the water flow from the sprinklers, confirmed there was no fire extension into the building, and performed an overhaul of the structure. Firefighters began salvage operations to remove water from the third-floor and two second-floor apartments directly below the laundry room that suffered minimal water damage. The Mountain View Police Department provided traffic control for one hour by closing one northbound lane of N Rengstorff Avenue while fire units were on the scene.

The fire was extinguished with no injuries. The fire’s origin was determined to be a clothes dryer. The cause was determined to be an overheated appliance due to lint buildup. The estimated damage to the contents and structure is $40,000. Firefighters replaced the sprinkler head and reactivated the water supply to the sprinkler system before leaving the scene. The building was turned over to facilities maintenance for continued repairs to the apartment.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the leading items first ignited in dryer fires were dust, fiber or lint. The NFPA recommends that your dryer be installed and serviced by a professional, never use a dryer without a lint filter, clean the lint filter after each load of laundry and ensure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted when the dryer is operating.

Media Contact
Robert Maitland, Fire Department PIO
650-903-6825 or robert.maitland@mountainview.gov