Fire Sprinkler System, Staff Credited For Saving Ocean City Restaurant From Early Morning Fire
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- An Ocean City restaurant was saved from serious fire damage early Tuesday morning thanks to a fire sprinkler system and the assistance of staff.
The Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm activation for a fire sprinkler water flow at the Castle in the Sand Hotel, shortly after 4 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Minutes later, emergency dispatchers received an additional call from hotel staff advising they had investigated the fire alarm activation and could see fire burning in the basement restaurant of the hotel.
When firefighters arrived, they found the fire alarm system sounding and hotel occupants evacuating. Hotel staff directed firefighters to the basement where they found a single fire sprinkler had discharged and extinguished the fire, limiting damage to a small area in the back of the restaurant.
Hotel occupants returned to their rooms within 30 minutes of the call and the Beach House Restaurant is expected to return to normal business following a brief cleanup.
Investigators from the Fire Marshal's Office have ruled the fire accidental due to spontaneous ignition of laundered, cooking oil-soaked cleaning rags.
