FALMOUTH, ME – Emergency crews responded to a nursing facility on Northbrook Drive early Saturday morning after a major water leak triggered fire alarms and forced the internal relocation of dozens of residents.
The incident began at 7:48 a.m. when Falmouth Fire-EMS was dispatched to the facility. Because Engine 2 was already tied up at a motor vehicle crash on I-295, Tower 2 and Ambulance 2 were the first to arrive on the scene.
Upon arrival, Firefighter Blaquiere established command and identified the source of the alarm: a significant water leak pouring through the ceilings in one wing of the building. Facility staff had already begun moving 31 residents from the affected wing to safer areas within the building.
Firefighters and EMS personnel immediately joined staff to assist with the move and conduct wellness checks on the displaced patients.
As the scale of the leak became clear, Captain Collins of Engine 4 took over incident command, directing crews from Engine 4 and Engine 1 to begin water control. Once Engine 2 cleared the highway crash, they also joined the effort.
Fire Chief Howard Rice, Jr. eventually took command of the scene, allowing Captain Collins to coordinate long-term evacuation planning with facility leadership. Meanwhile, Captain Gaskin led salvage operations to prevent the water from spreading into other wings of the building.
By approximately 9:30 a.m., the leak was contained, and officials determined that a full evacuation of the facility would not be necessary.
