Blower sets off sprinklers

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Firefighters were called to the Adair building on the Gladstone Road-Grey Street corner yesterday morning after the sprinkler system in part of the building was triggered by a blower drying some carpet.

The fire crews turned out at about 11.30am and were there for about an hour.

“People in a room upstairs at the northern end of the building had been using a diesel-powered blower to dry out some carpet,” a senior firefighter said.

“Heat from the blower triggered the sprinkler system in the room, and in an adjoining office.

“The room and the office became quite heavily water-logged before we arrived and were able to shut off the sprinkler system.”

She said water also got into part of a business premises on the ground floor.

The fire crews helped mop up and then left the situation in the hands of the building manager.