Fire Sparks Evacuation of Chesterfield Villas

The Chesterfield Villas retirement homes were evacuated this afternoon after a utility worker sparked a minor fire in the ceiling of one unit. 

Fire marshal Roger Herin with the Monarch Fire Protection District said the man was drilling a hole between the ceiling of one unit and the floor of another when he struck a wire, possibly starting the small fire.

The man noticed smoke coming from the ceiling and immediately called the fire department, a vital move, according to Herin. 

"It could have been a lot worse than it was," he said. 

Chesterfield Villas is located between North Outer 40 and Conway roads, just east of Chesterfield Parkway. When firefighters arrived, they had to tear down the ceiling to find the source of the smoke. The small flame was doused with water and extinguished. 

"It was ready to take off, but we got to it in time," Herin said. 

No one was injured, but the firefighters did evacuate the building. Besides the ceiling, Herin said the damage was minor and expects the occupants to be back in the units in several days time.