High-Rise Fire Damages Condos At The Grand
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami firefighters have a soggy job at a downtown condo after a fire, possibly caused by a cigarette butt, began on a balcony and set off sprinklers inside.
The fire started just after 1 p.m. at the Grand, the condo portion of the Doubletree Grand Hotel in the 1700 block of Bayshore Drive.
Miami Fire-Rescue spokesman Ignatius Carroll said the blaze began on an apartment balcony on the 23rd floor.
It's not yet certain how the fire started, though Carroll said there has been a problem with people tossing cigarette butts from balconies where they are caught by the wind and blown back to the condos.
The fire never actually made it into the apartment, but the alarms and sprinklers were set off when the blaze broke the glass balcony door and smoke made it's way inside, setting off the sensors.
The heavy smoke brought the high-rise rescue units, but when the smoke set off the sensors, the sprinklers prevented the fire from getting inside.
Carroll said there was nobody in the condo when the fire started, and the hotel part of the resort complex was not damaged.
However, Fire-Rescue is assessing the damage caused by smoke and water, and has yet to figure out how many people will be forced from their homes.
