Sprinklers prevented a fire in a six-storey Langford housing complex on Saturday night from turning into something much worse, says Langford Fire Rescue Chief Chris Aubrey.
Aubrey said his department was called about 8:30 p.m. to Hockley House on Hockley Avenue, and residents reported smoke on the fifth floor when crews arrived.
There were also some reports of an explosion being heard, which prompted a request for assistance from departments in Colwood, View Royal and Esquimalt.
Langford crews found a fifth-floor unit where a small fire had been controlled by the sprinkler system.
Since it turned out to be a relatively minor incident, the other departments were told to stand down, Aubrey said. “The fire could have been much larger but the sprinklers controlled it.”
He said nothing was found in the suite that indicated there had been an explosion.
“It might have been the sound of the sprinklers activating — sometimes they make a loud bang,” Aubrey said. “And we’re checking to see if there were any aerosol cans or something like that that might have been affected by the fire.”
Residents were evacuated from the 120-unit building but all but one were able to get back inside in a few hours, Aubrey said. One person was checked out by paramedics and did not have to be hospitalized.
The street was reopened by 10:30 p.m.
