Riverhead firefighters got an early morning wake-up call today with the report of a structure fire at the Lowe’s Home Improvement store site.
About 40 vols responded to the scene of the 4:45 a.m. alarm, which turned out to be located on Riverhead Sewer District property adjacent to the home improvement retail store.
A heater inside the sewer district generator room seems to have malfunctioned, filling the small building with smoke, which triggered a smoke alarm, according to Riverhead Fire Department First Assistant Chief Kevin Brooks. Riverhead Sewer District superintendent Michael Reichel was notified by the alarm, went to the site and called police when he saw smoke, Brooks said. The police called the fire department.
“We think the unit’s heater element came on without the fan and it smoked up the room,” Brooks said.
The building was not damaged in the incident.
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