KEARNEY — The prolonged stretch of bitterly cold weather caused the sprinkler systems at the Viaero Center to freeze and activate during the afternoon hours of Tuesday, Jan. 21.
At 2:19 p.m., the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the Viaero Events Center on the south side of Kearney for the report of a general fire alarm.
The staff initially reported a strong odor of natural gas by the south side main doors.
On scene, the sprinkler system had activated in parts of the building and two trails of water were draining away from the facility on the south side.
The KVFD was joined on scene by the Nebraska State Fire Marshal and NorthWestern Energy. Other agencies assisting on scene included the Kearney Police Department and CHI Health Good Samaritan EMS.
KVFD Fire Administrator Jason Whalen said that it was determined that part of the sprinkler system had frozen, and it then activated. He noted there was minimal damage inside the building, some damage to drywall in an office area.
Otherwise, most of the water was able to drain away from the building.
Whalen said that the gas odor the staff reported was actually due to the stagnant water which had sat in the sprinkler system for some time. There was no gas leak detected.
