Holiday Inn Sprinkler Pipe Bursts, Floods

It was a soggy Christmas for Yreka Holiday Inn Express staff members as they dealt with the aftermath of a frozen fire sprinkler pipe in the attic that burst on Dec. 22, causing flooding in 15 of the rooms.
The ordeal began in the evening when the fire alarm sounded. Holiday Inn Express General Manager Ravi Brar said the fire alarm system is connected to the sprinkler system.
When staff investigated the matter, they discovered that the attic fire sprinkler pipe had frozen and burst, Brar said.
“Water was gushing in the attic,” Brar said. “It was dripping through the ceiling.”
Guests affected by the flooding were transferred to dry quarters.
Brar said that business has been impacted by the flooding.
“We have had to turn away a few walk-ins,” he commented.
The Aztec Construction and Restoration firm was retained to repair the damages.
Scott Birondo of Aztec said that the cold air coming into the attic through the gable vents is likely what caused the fire sprinkler pipe to freeze.
Aztec staff set up 50 air blowers and 12 dehumidifiers to dry out the saturated carpets and furniture. They extracted saturated attic insulation through a tube from the rooms below.
Birondo said he anticipated it would take about five days for the flooded rooms to completely dry.

water damage new york