About 30 residents of an assisted living facility for seniors in east Mesa were evacuated during a fire after someone noticed smoke coming out of a building and called 911 before helping people out of the burning building on Wednesday.
About 65 firefighters from Mesa and Gilbert battled a blaze that was discovered about 2:20 p.m. at the facility, 537 S. Higley Road, owned by Senior Living Investments, before they got it under control. The fire began in the attic after a worker repairing an air-conditioning unit who was using a torch apparently started the blaze, according to Forrest Smith, a Mesa Fire Department spokesman.
The residents were taken to other buildings on the campus of the facility, Smith said.
A dollar amount on the damage to the building was not known, but Smith said the building was a total loss.
No injuries were reported, but the good Samaritan, who was painting a building behind the facility and noticed smoke coming out of it before jumping a fence and alerting people inside, was treated on site for smoke inhalation, Smith said.
The Tick posted at 5:38 pm on Wed, Oct 19, 2011.
It wasn't smokey, it was a full flame above the roof when it happenedf. I have the pic.