Sprinklers go off despite no fire in Denver apartment, resulting flood leaves family scrambling
Coloradans know to winterize their sprinklers before the first freeze, but lately it's the sprinklers inside that are causing problems. Broken water lines in the latest cold snap left many people without water, but one Denver family had the opposite problem -- too much water.
When Jasmine Douglas returned home from work Saturday, she found fire crews but no fire.
Her sprinkler burst, flooding her apartment in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood with 80 gallons of water.
"It hit every single room down to the kitchen. Three other units around a mine got damaged, too. It was about 5 inches of water. It was running out of my front door," explained Douglas. "The furniture, the beds, electronics, our clothes."
Several fans were on full blast in the unit when CBS Colorado visited Wednesday. The apartment where Douglas raises her five boys and nearly all their possessions were destroyed, from the ceiling to the carpet and everything in between.
"I have a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. Those are my youngest. They can't live here. You know these fans are dangerous. The boys are asthmatic. We cannot have anything with mold that will cause them breathing issues," said Douglas.
Denver Fire says crews ran almost double their average calls for water line breaks in the cold.
In what would be a very rare case, a contractor told Jasmine the sprinklers may have gone off being so close to the heat.
Her sprinkler is located just 5 inches from the air vent. According to the International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, if the sprinkler is directly in front of a wall-mounted register, it must be between 18 and 36 inches away. For sprinklers mounted on the wall, the sprinkler needs to be at least 12 inches away.
To make matters worse, her renter's insurance lapsed, leaving her on the hook for damaged belongings.
The complex told her they can't provide her with another unit.
"The only thing they offered me is a one night stay in a hotel, for me and my five children, or $300 and to let us out of our lease," said Douglas. "Unfortunately, there's nothing that's outlined in regards to something structural like this."
She's raising money through an online fundraiser to help get her back on her feet, while hoping others learn a lesson: something meant to keep you safe can do so much damage. The fundraiser is on GoFundMe's website and it is called "Support Needed for Jasmine and Family."