Henrietta Fire District officials say they haven’t figured out yet what triggered Sunday’s huge fire at the former Old Country Inn and Suites hotel, but they know the sprinkler system being disabled turned what could have been thousands of dollars in damages into $10 million.
The hotel was being converted into an assisted living facility for seniors, and the fire alarm and sprinkler systems were disabled during the construction. At a news conference, Henrietta Fire Chief Mark Strzyzynski says those systems would have made a huge difference and could have saved the building if they’d been working.
Fire officials say all sorts of work was being done in the building including electrical and plumbing. Investigators aren’t sure if that had anything to do with the fire.