Trash Fire at East Washington High Rise Prompts Alarm Investigation

Firefighters responded to 822 East Washington Avenue for an alarm investigation. Upon MFD arrival, maintenance staff met Engine Co. 4 and directed them to the trash area. There, a smoking dumpster was found on the first floor the parking garage. Staff had applied a dry chemical extinguisher prior to firefighters' arrival. Firefighters wheeled the dumpster out of the trash area and extinguished the remainder of the trash. 

Two firefighters checked to the alarm panel and found detectors activated on multiple floors of the building. The crew went to the top floor of the building, finding smoke on every floor, in the corridor between apartments, and in the common stairwells where the trash chute is located. 

Ladder Co. 1 responded to ventilate all floors of the building. The roof hatch at the top of the stairwell was opened to allow smoke out of the roof. Vent fans in the stairwell were activated, as was the cleaning system on the top floor of the trash chute to remove any smoke from the chute. 

Occupants were able to return, and damage from the fire was contained to the trash dumpster. The cause of the fire is unknown as investigators were unable to find discarded smoking materials, discarded batteries, or other competent ignition sources within the debris.