RUMFORD, Maine — Crew responded to smoke in a basement at a nursing home in Rumford early Tuesday morning, Aug. 20, while seniors enjoyed an extra game of Bingo.
Oxford County dispatcher says crews discovered a circuit breaker was causing the smoke in the basement at the Rumford Community Home on John F Kennedy Lane.
There was no harm to the 81 residents at the nursing home.
An administrator at Rumford Community Home, Amanda Nelson, says an alarm went off at the facility at around 8:30 a..m. and the problem was traced to an electrical issue in basement - specifically a coil in air handling system.
Some residents were moved from unit to another while the Fire Dept. shut down the coil. The power was shut off for about an hour so seniors passed the time by playing a game of Bingo.
By 10:45 a.m. firefighters determined air quality was safe for all residents, and they returned to their rooms.
Nelson says the residents were happy to get an extra round of Bingo so early in the day.
Part of the ventilation in the facility is not operational until the faulty coil is replaced.
