Burst Pipe Leaves North Versailles Apartments With Failed Sprinkler System

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NORTH VERSAILLES (KDKA) -- Residents in one North Versailles apartment complex woke up Thursday morning to learn that a pipe in their building had burst.

People who live in the Della Plaza apartments had an unexpected early morning wake up call.

"All I heard was the alarm went off about 20 minutes to five, and usually we get lots of false alarms, so I don't even move or pay attention to them because it happens so often. Usually about once every two months or so, the alarm goes off, so I just did what I usually do during the night, and the thing wouldn't go off," Richard Krall said.

The reason: a pipe in a sprinkler riser burst, meaning the sprinkling and fire suppression system in the building weren't working.

"It failed. Once it gets below a certain temperature, it's going to crack and now the fire sprinkler system that feeds that high rise is compromised," North Versailles fire code official Al Hussey said.

The residents who live in the seven-story building near Lincoln Highway were encouraged to evacuate, but many chose to stay in their apartments.

"If there was a fire or something, I'd make sure I got out of there in time," Krall said.

Buses were brought to the building as a precaution in case any residents evacuated. A fire code official said a fire watch would be in place in the event of a fire or emergency.

"Anytime a sprinkler system is compromised, absolutely it's a danger, and that's why we're here and making the necessary corrections to avoid that," Hussey said.

A nearby senior living community was not affected with the exception of a little water getting inside the building.