The charred ceiling and attic insulation at the foot of the attic ladder at 160 Lincoln Rd. (Photos courtesy Lincoln Fire Department)
Tenants and visitors evacuated the commercial building along the railroad tracks on Friday, Sept. 1 after a malfunctioning bathroom ceiling fan started a small fire.
Lincoln firefighters responded to a fire alarm activation at the building at 160 Lincoln Rd. at 2:03 p.m. and found the fire in the ceiling fan of the women’s room on the second floor. Someone in the building had already used a fire extinguisher but the fire was not completely out, so firefighters used another extinguisher. Because a thermal imaging camera detected high temperatures in the ceiling, firefighters brought up a fire hose in case the fire had spread to the attic, but they didn’t need to use it, although the attic insulation had started to ignite.
Damage was limited to the ceiling and the floor littered with fire extinguisher material in the bathroom and hallway, as well as some burned insulation.
“The cause does appear to be electrical, but more importantly, thanks to working smoke detectors and early notification, the best possible outcome was accomplished. We would like to thank those bystanders for reporting and helping as well as all of our mutual aid partners for their assistance,” the Fire Department posted on its Facebook and Instagram pages. Units from Concord, Sudbury and Wayland also responded.