By Zachary McDonald – Bellevue Leader

A small kitchen fire at Harmony Court, an independent living facility off Wall Street, left some elderly residents displaced Monday afternoon after Bellevue volunteer firefighters secured the area.

The fire proved the apartment building’s sprinkler system works, but it created a new problem.

“The sprinklers did their job and put it out,” said Jack Syphers, BVFD spokesman, “but now there’s water damage on the lower floor. I heard the ceiling in apartment 108 collapsed.”

Syphers said three apartments were uninhabitable, two because of water damage and the one where the fire started. He wasn’t sure how many residents were displaced, but he said at least three and at most five.

The American Red Cross was working Monday night to find accommodations for those residents.

The official cause of the fire was unknown as of Monday.

One female resident who was having difficulty breathing was transported to the hospital. Another person was treated at the scene and released.

The building’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire, which never extended beyond apartment 210. Residents were evacuated from the whole building, but were soon let back into the dining room in the west wing.

Lee Drake, who lives in apartment 206, said it took the residents a while to decide to leave.

“First I heard was there’s a real fire,” Drake said. “I could tell people, including myself, weren’t too sure.”
Julie, Lee’s wife, said she saw Jean Smith, who lives in 210, standing in the hall with smoke pouring out of her apartment.

“She said, ‘My apartment’s on fire,’ and I said, ‘Well come out and shut the door then,'” Julie said. “I was just afraid of the smoke because [Lee’s] on oxygen.”

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