Flora VFD limits damage Senior Citizens will be displaced temporarily while repairs are made to the Flora Community Center following a fire Monday evening. The fire, reported by a passerby, was contained within ten minutes after the arrival of the Flora Volunteer Fire Department. Comet photo The Flora Community Center on North Division Street will be out of commission for a few weeks after a fire Monday evening left the building with smoke and water damage.

Flora Volunteer Fire Department Chief Scott Sisson said that the department's investigator, Mike Titus, and a representative from the State Fire Marshal's office determined that the fire started in a corner of the furnace/storage room, but they are not 100 percent sure of the cause. According to Sisson, they do not consider the cause to be suspicious.

The call came in shortly after 6:30 p.m. Sisson said that people were in the building as late as 4:15 p.m., but they reportedly saw no problem at that time.

After making forcible entry, it took the VFD less than ten minutes to knock the main body of the fire out, said Sisson.

"We are concerned though, that the automatic alarm did not work," said Sisson. "We are trying to do some troubleshooting. We could have been way ahead of this had the alarm worked."

Senior services are provided from the Community Building. While repairs are being made,

seniors will meet in the board room in the Flora Fireside Building, starting today, Wednesday. The entrance at 27 W. Main St. is handicapped accessible.

The local phone number for Carroll County Senior & Family Services will remain the same at 967-3400.

Flora Apartments Manager Jerry Reinke, who also has an office in the Center, can be reached at 967-3033.

The Flora Community Center is owned by the Town of Flora. Clerk-treasurer Joretta Tinsman said the building is insured.