RICHMOND, Va. -- The low-lying Shockoe Bottom was one of Richmond most vulnerable neighborhoods when it came to flooding. In the 1990s, a massive flood wall was built to help protect the neighborhood from the raging James River. In 2004, heavy rain from Tropical Storm Gaston caused millions of dollars worth of damage to cars and buildings in Shockoe Bottom.
But the minor flooding some Shockoe residents experienced Wednesday morning had nothing to do with the James River, nor a tropical storm. It had everything to do with someone leaving food unattended and cooking in the kitchen, firefighters said.
The Atrium Lofts at Cold Storage, located at 500 North 18th Street, was evacuated around 2 a.m. after a small fire started in an apartment on the 5th floor, according to Richmond firefighters. As soon as the fire started, the sprinkler system kicked-in and put the fire out.
Once firefighters arrived on scene, they worked to turn off the sprinkler system. But water from the 5th floor sprinklers ran down onto the 4th floor. One 4th floor resident sent WTVR CBS 6 video of water leaking from the ceiling and onto the floor.
Everyone was allowed back into their apartments by 5:30 a.m. No one was hurt in the fire and no serious damage was reported.
