Sprinkler system saves couple, small child

A sprinkler system in a New Bern apartment building saved a family, neighbors and property damage Sunday night.

Fire broke out in a bedroom at a Wyndsor Park apartment unit off Racetrack Road. The sprinkler system in the apartment's bedroom was activated by the heat, enabling a couple and their small child to escape harm.

New Bern Fire Marshal Henry Watson said when firefighters arrived at the apartment complex shortly after the 9:36 p.m. fire call, they saw smoke coming from the second floor window. The couple was sitting on the steps, waiting for firefighters.

The firemen went inside the apartment and saw that the sprinkler system had activated. The fire was declared under control by 9:49 p.m.

Watson said the fire started from lit candles in the bedroom encountering bedclothes.

"The sprinkler system saved the unit, neighbors and the building," Watson said.

He said that once a sprinkler system is activated by heat, it contains the fire but more importantly allows people to get out.

"The sprinkler system also keeps the atmosphere safe for firefighters," he said.

Watson warns that people who have sprinkler systems in their apartments or homes should not become complacent.

"We found during our investigation of this fire that some smoke detectors did not have batteries or the smoke detectors were disconnected from the ceiling.  The smoke detector is the first line of defense in a fire," Watson said.

He said the batteries should be checked at least twice a year.

The family who lived at the apartment will return after the owners paint the bedroom. The mattress will have to be replaced, along with a few other personal items.

"The sprinkler system saved a lot of expense," he said.

All new multi-family dwellings are required to have sprinkler systems.