About 120 people were forced out of their apartments Wedneday night after a break in a sprinkler waterline.
The Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder company reported that firefighters were dispatched to Fountainview Apartments at around 6 p.m. after an alarm sounded. Firefighters were told the alarm was the result of water flow or sprinkler activation. Affected was Building 3000 of Fountainview, a four-story structure consisting of 64 apartment units
Fire department units arrived to find a ruptured sprinkler pipe on the fourth floor with water damage on all floors. Fire department personnel evacuated approximately 120 residents from the building. City of Newark building inspectors determined the structure was uninhabitable. Electrical power was shut off to the building.
Many evacuated residents found shelter with family and friends. The American Red Cross was on the scene to assist those without temporary housing arrangements.
