COLUMBUS, Ind. – A sprinkler system helped reduce fire damage at a Columbus apartment complex Monday evening. According to Columbus Fire Department (CFD) investigators, the fire was caused by an improperly discarded cigarette.
Firefighters were called to the St. Barts Apartments, 745 Sycamore St., at around 6:45 p.m. Upon arrival, CFD reported water flowing from a third-floor balcony. Crews used a ground ladder to access the balcony and found an activated sprinkler head and smoldering cardboard boxes. They fully extinguished the hot embers.
Investigators spoke to the apartment’s tenant, who shared that he was smoking on the balcony about 30 minutes before the sprinkler system activation. He said he had been storing empty cardboard boxes on the patio from a recent move.
The fire was classified as accidental. Damage was estimated at under $5000. There were no injuries.
CFD Capt. Dave Dwyer said, “The sprinkler system operated appropriately and helped to avert a more significant fire. With plenty of fuel and oxygen, it could have easily spread to other combustible materials or potentially entered the living space.”