A close call with an electrical part meltdown happened this week at the Berrien County Historical Association’s property in Berrien Springs.
Director Rhiannon Cizon says the incident happened Monday afternoon around 4pm at the 1870s Sheriff’s Residence building. Staff reported the smell of something burning around 4 p.m. and contacted the Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Fire Department as a precaution.
“One of the components in the AC unit burned up. I mean, it was an internal burn. It didn’t catch on fire, thank goodness. By happenstance, it happened during the day, and electric still flowed through that damaged part to allow the AC unit to still work so that we could smell the electrical burn in the museum.”
Cizon says fire crews inspected the building and used a thermal camera to check for hot spots. A technician later confirmed that a component of the building’s HVAC system had burned out but still allowed electricity to pass through, raising the risk of a fire. Subsequently, power to the unit has been shut off, and the system will remain offline until repairs are completed.
“The part will be replaced, and we should be fine. Discussions about internal systems that would trigger an alarm if something like that happens in the future will be discussed because these units are on the roof. If they were to catch on fire by the time they got to any sort of internal alarm system in the building, by then it will probably be too late.”
Cizon says fans will be used to cool the building until the new part arrives. No injuries or damage to the structure were reported.
Image credit: History Center at Courthouse Square.
