Broken Pipe Floods Senior Healthcare Facility Prompting Evacuation Of Residents

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — A broken sprinkler pipe at a senior healthcare facility late Saturday night required the relocation of 160 residents.

Around 11:30 p.m. June 28, Howard County firefighters were called to a senior healthcare facility located in the 3000 block of North Ridge Road for a report of an alarm sounding and water flooding into rooms from the ceiling. Firefighters arrived to find a broken sprinkler pipe as the culprit behind the facility's flooding, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.

Ambulances and the Mobile Ambulance Bus were called in to help transport the residents to other healthcare facilities nearby. Eighty-six residents were able to relocated to other sections of the Ellicott City facility that wasn't affected by the flooding, while the remaining went to nearby facilities. No injuries were reported. Mutual aid was provided by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, who also helped transport patients via their ambulances, according to Howard County officials.

The building was inspected by the Howard County Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits and has been determined to be safe to occupy as emergency repairs take place.