Laundry Room Fire Forces Evacuation of Nursing Home

On September 15, 2013 at 7:08 p.m., the Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department responded to a structure fire at the Pleasanton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center located at 300 Neal Street. The fire was originally reported by automatic fire alarm activation, and was soon confirmed by on site employees that there was a fire in the laundry room.

Two alarms were requested to the 139 bed facility. During the evacuation of the facility, Paramedics Plus responded with two paramedic ambulances and one paramedic supervisor to provide care to the evacuated residents. The Pleasanton Police Department provided traffic and pedestrian control, and oversaw the safety of the evacuee’s.

The fire originated in a commercial laundry dryer, and spread from the appliance to the laundry room where a fire sprinkler contained the fire until extinguishment by the fire attack companies.  Smoke, and water runoff, was contained to one wing by the automatic closing of fire doors. Quick working facility employees initiated evacuation procedures, and were further assisted upon the arrival of responding fire resources.  

Within 90 minutes all but three rooms were able to be reoccupied by the 130 residents. The residents were quickly relocated by facility staff, Paramedics Plus, and the Pleasanton Police Volunteers in Patrol.

The automatic fire alarm system, fire sprinkler system, automatic fire doors, and facility staff trained in evacuation procedures were essential in the successful outcome of this incident.  There were no injuries, and property loss was greatly reduced by the fire and life safety systems.  The dollar loss to this incident has not yet been determined.