UPDATED: Smoke At Retirement Complex Caused By Faulty A/C Motor (VIDEO)

The smoke at the retirement complex Monday was caused by a failed motor on an air conditioning unit, but the unit did not catch fire,  Poquonnock Bridge Fire Chief Todd Paige said. There were no injuries.

On Sunday, and fire damage, displaced several residents, but resulted in no injuries.

Poqunnock Bridge Fire Marshal Adam Wojtuck said Sunday’s fire was caused by an overheated bathroom ceiling fan.

“It is common, not just to this complex,” he said. At least five Groton fires in the last five years have been caused by bathroom fans, he said. The items are often overlooked in homes and are not always cleaned, Pagie said.

On Monday, Paige said a representative from the sprinkler company was fixing sprinklers in the attic of the retirement complex when he smelled smoke at about 11:40 a.m.  

Electricians had also been working on restoring power to the building, and had activated an air conditioning unit in one of the hallways. The motor on the unit failed and started to smoke, Paige said.

When the sprinkler repairman smelled smoke, he turned the system back on before he left.  Paige said this was proper procedure, but firefighters on the scene were initially unaware of this, and the system put out a signal that it had been activated by fire.

Firefighters from Poquonnock Bridge, Groton City, the Sub Base, Mystic and Old Mystic responded.

Mike Payne, a field representative from Servpro in Norwich, said he was getting ready to repair water damage from Sunday's fire when he was told politely to leave.

He said he smelled no smoke and heard nothing, but he can see why firefighters wanted the buildings clear.

"I don't think they take any chances," he said. The company is fixing water damage on three floors in the southwest wing of the complex, he said.

There are 142 residents in the housing complex, but the building was mostly empty Monday.

Paige said some residents are frustrated by having to wait for water damage to be repaired, but sprinklers played a critical role over the weekend.

“Today’s buildings are built of lightweight material, and once it gets going, it burns much faster than (material in) older buildings,” Paige said. He said fire was coming from the roof when firefighters arrived Sunday, but was contained because of the sprinklers.

Without them, he said the entire roof could have been destroyed before they arrived.

“Basically, things worked,” he said. “The systems came together and they worked.”