A sprinkler system at a local apartment complex is being credited with saving at least one life last weekend.

At noon on Sunday, Jan. 10, the Redmond Fire Department responded to a call in an apartment building in the 18600 block of Redmond – Fall City Road. The water flow from the sprinkler system automatically activated the fire alarm system, alerting occupants of the situation and dispatching Redmond Fire, Eastside Fire, and Eastside Emergency Medical Services to the scene.

The first arriving fire crews were met by the occupant of the involved unit and confirmed there had been a fire in the bedding. The fire was suppressed by the one sprinkler head located in the apartment bedroom ceiling. At the time of the fire, the occupant was asleep in the bed, but escaped with only minor injuries. The bed and mattress were slightly damaged by the fire and the apartment unit sustained minor water damage. No adjacent units reported damage.

It is undetermined how the fire started, but Rich Gieseke, Deputy Fire Marshal for the Redmond Fire Department, said it most likely was due to improper use of an electric heating pad. The sprinkler contained it to a one-foot by two-foot area on the mattress and bedding.

“This is a great example of how effective fire sprinklers can be in our homes, apartments, and workplaces,” said Gieseke. “This system extinguished the fire prior to our arrival and kept the fire from extending beyond its initial involvement. If they hadn’t had a sprinkler system, we may have been talking about residents not surviving and far worse property damage.”