Jan. 08--BANGOR, Maine -- A bathroom exhaust fan that caught fire Sunday afternoon at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft on Stillwater Avenue caused the lone sprinkler in the room to go off and partially flood the store, Bangor Fire Department Assistant Chief Darrel Cyr said.
"There was a lot of water," the assistant chief said. "That is where all the damage is. Probably a quarter of the store had a half-inch of water" by the time the water to the bathroom was turned off.
"Some of the product did come in contact with the water," Cyr said, adding that other items may have smoke damage.
The fire was reported at 12:55 p.m. and the store, located at 710 Stillwater Ave, was evacuated, Cyr said. The store remained closed at 4 p.m. Sunday. No injuries were reported.
The bathroom is located in the back left corner of the store.
"The fan caught fire and some of the fire dropped to the floor" onto stored bathroom supplies, which started to burn, Cyr said. "The fire was big enough to activate the sprinkler system."
Firefighters were at the scene for about 1 1/2 hours and tore into the bathroom ceiling to ensure the fire didn't spread into the roof.
Copyright 2012 - Bangor Daily News, Maine
