Electrical fire damages office at Canyon Ranch

LENOX -- Firefighters quickly knocked down an electrical fire in an administrative office at Canyon Ranch, thanks to a sprinkler system that quickly helped to extinguish the blaze.

Fire doors prevented any spread to the glass enclosure connecting the pavilion building to the guest wings of the hotel. All guests were safe and there were no injuries, according to Lenox Fire Chief Daniel Clifford.

The fire erupted in a heating and air conditioning wall unit in the building's transportation office shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday, Clifford said.

The department responded with four engines, a ladder truck and the town's 25-member professional and volunteer force, Clifford said, but by the time they arrived, the sprinklers had done most of the work.

Canyon Ranch staffer Bill Walsh discovered the fire in his office not long after turning on the heating unit. He and Managing Director Reggie Cooper closed the door and called 911. An automatic fire alarm to the central station also was activated, Clifford said.

The fire gutted the office, causing about $10,000 in damage, and repairs already were underway on Friday morning, said Cooper. The rest of the pavilion containing the administrative headquarters where guests check in and check out, was unaffected.

An investigator from the state Fire Marshal's office inspected the damage and ruled the fire accidental.

Cooper recounted how he and Walsh saw flames coming out of the unit, saw that an active fire was underway and shut the office door as the sprinkler system came on.

The transportation office coordinates the pickup of guests arriving at airport and railway stations in Albany, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn.

"It's reassuring that in a small community, we have such a great fire and rescue team that responds so quickly," Cooper said on Friday morning as the cleanup continued.

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Electrical fire damages office at Canyon Ranch