A fire at the Patrick Henry Hotel has been ruled an accident.
According to the fire marshal's office, the fire started after some construction materials were left on the roof. Those materials "spontaneously combusted drawing the fire and smoke into the air handling unit, causing it to catch fire and send smoke through out the building."
------------------------
An air conditioning unit on the roof of the Patrick Henry Hotel caught fire Thursday.
Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback tells NEWS7 a construction worker found the fire after hearing a small explosion. That worker was able to use a fire extinguisher to put the rest of the fire out.
Two units were damaged by water. The repairs should be made within the next day or so. Those living in the two damaged units have been relocated. None of the units suffered any smoke damage.
The fire chief hopes to have the cause of the fire by later Friday. The air conditioning unit that caught on fire was brand new.
Here is a statement from the Patrick Henry:
Roanoke,VA-July 28, 2011- Around 1pm today, a fire erupted from an air conditioner handler on the roof of the Patrick Henry. A staff member immediately pulled the fire alarm and contained the fire with a fire extinguisher until the proper authorities could arrive.
The Patrick Henry was evacuated and the fire extinguished. Smoke did invade floors 4 through 10 but no smoke damage occurred. Only two apartments are affected by today's fire but the damage is minimal and only water damage created by the sprinkler system. Those tenants are being relocated for a day or two until the fire Marshall inspects their homes and the damaged items are replaced.
The air conditioner handler is responsible for cooling the corridors of the resident areas and not the actual residence themselves. The handler will be replaced within the next two weeks.
On behalf of the Patrick Henry, a sincere thanks to the incredible Roanoke City Fire Department and colleagues for their professional and quick response. We are thrilled that damage was minimal, no one was injured and the sophisticated fire alarm system in in the building works incredibly well.
