Fire Breaks Out at Belmont Senior Community, Residents Temporarily Displaced

The scene Friday morning on Carlmont Drive. Image courtesy of the Belmont Police Department.
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The following is a news release from the City of Belmont:

35 residents in a senior living apartment complex were temporarily displaced by an early morning fire Friday in Belmont.

The building’s sprinkler system suppressed the fire and there were no injuries.

On Friday at approximately 4:00 am, a fire broke out in an apartment on the second floor of the Lesley Terrace Senior Living Apartments in the 2400 block of Carlmont Dr. The resident, a 78-year-old man, was awakened by the smell of smoke and alerted the apartment manager who called 911. The building’s fire sprinkler system activated in the man’s apartment and suppressed the fire.

Belmont Fire was assisted by units from San Mateo Fire, Foster City Fire and CalFire. In all six engines and two aerial ladders responded, due to the high-rise building and elderly population. The fire was confined to the apartment where it started and there were no injuries.

Initially, 35 residents were evacuated from their apartments to the main dining area as fire fighters made sure the fire was out and had not spread to adjacent apartments. Ultimately all but three of those residents were allowed to return to their apartments. The resident of the apartment where the fire occurred and the residents of the two apartments below his, will be moved to other apartments in the complex.

The cause of the fire appears to be accidental. The resident had just moved into the apartment and had numerous cardboard boxes of personal items to unpack. One of the boxes was placed in front of a wall heater and the heater appears to have ignited the box after the resident went to sleep.

The Belmont Fire Department would like to remind the public as we move into winter, to be careful when using heaters. Combustible objects should never be placed on top of or in front of heaters. It is a good idea to have your furnace inspected to ensure it is working properly and if you use a portable heater, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.