Sprinkler extinguishes dryer fire at Bremerton preschool

Published 10:34 am Thursday, March 12, 2009

A dryer fire in the daylight basement of a Bremerton preschool was discovered early Wednesday afternoon and extinguished by a sprinkler before causing any major damage, according to Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue (CKFR).

CKFR firefighters responded to the Discovery Depot Montessori School in the 7300 block of Tracyton Avenue just before 1 p.m. for a commercial fire alarm activation. Crews arrived on scene and found all children and employees safely evacuated and relocated to nearby school buses.

Firefighters discovered light smoke coming from the basement, a fire in the dryer and one sprinkler head activated and dousing the flames with water, confining the blaze to the dryer. Crews used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

Smoke and fire damage to the business was contained to the dryer and surrounding area with dollar loss estimated at $18,000.

The Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office determined the cause of the fire was an overstuffed clothes dryer in which nylon-blended contents ignited. The fire marshal’s office is requiring that all systems be repaired and operational before the business can be occupied.