July 08--Major flooding at a commercial building in Ventura this morning was caused by a malfunctioning sprinkler system, officials said.
The sprinklers went off at one of the upper units of the building and the water had been flowing for hours before it was reported to the Ventura Fire Department, said Battalion Chief Doug Miser.
Firefighters responded to the building in the 4500 block of Telephone Road about 6:15 a.m.
The ceilings of numerous units in the building have collapsed, causing the area to be yellow tagged, Miser said.
There are a total of 12 businesses in the building, including a restaurant, cat hospital and a glass company.
"Crews are on scene doing water evacuations and mitigating hazards," Miser said.
"We're working with the building owners to save as much property as we can."
Prevention code and building and safety officials are on scene assessing the damage.
Miser said the flooding has caused at least $100,000 in damages.
"But that's a conservative estimate," he said.
No injuries have been reported during the incident.
Copyright 2013 - Ventura County Star, Calif.
