The City of Clemson Fire Marshal issued an unsafe structure notice to the Dockside Clemson apartments on Wednesday, saying that damage has impacted the fire alarms, sprinklers and elevators.
The notice means that residents cannot live in their apartments until the damage is fixed.
“The life safety aspect is my main concern. I don’t want someone to get injured, sick or trapped in a building that needs repairs,” Bryan Johnson, the City of Clemson Fire Marshal, said in an email.
Johnson could not give an estimate of when repairs would be complete but said that a restoration company is on site. Once the fire alarms, sprinklers and elevators are functional, areas of the building that are OK can be reopened.
Units, hallways and common areas that have water damage will take longer to reopen, Johnson said.
The Tiger has made attempts to reach out to Landmark Properties, the management property for Dockside Clemson, but has not received a response.
Flooding started on the fourth floor after the sprinkler line feeding into the parking lot broke, flooding the floors below. Sprinkler line damage on the third floor also contributed, according to Johnson. Multiple sprinkler heads in the parking deck are also damaged.
As a result of the moisture, the fire alarm system and two elevators are down, making the building unsafe in the event of a fire.
Below-freezing weather this past weekend caused the pipes to burst, Johnson said.
This is a developing story. The Tiger will provide updates with additional information as it becomes available.