Edgecomb firefighters responded to Edgecomb Green at 31 Cross Point Road on Saturday afternoon for what turned out to be a broken hot water pipe, Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter said. The initial report shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday came in as a fire alarm going off and smoke in the hallway, but the smoke turned out to be steam, Potter said at the scene.

Potter said he went to the boiler room and found a valve to shut off water to that section of pipe.

Edgecomb Green, operated by ElderCare Network of Lincoln County, has both assisted living and independent living programs, Potter said. One man on the affected portion of the building went to the other part of the building due to the incident, he said. The building did not have to be evacuated, the chief said.

Newcastle and Boothbay fire departments were called to stand by at their stations, but Potter canceled the request  when he discovered there was not smoke in the building. The pipe had probably become frozen and then thawed in the warmer temperatures of recent days, Potter said.

Edgecomb Green will be having the pipe repaired, Potter said.