A sprinkler system was credited with extinguishing a fire at a Rancho Cordova cabinet manufacturing business Monday night, but fire officials said the unmonitored system caused extensive water damage.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were dispatched at 11:04 p.m. to a report of water coming from a building occupied by River City Millwork Inc. at 3045 Fite Circle. Crews arrived to find water flowing under the doors of the large commercial tilt-up building. After forcing their way inside, firefighters found that a small fire at a work station had activated a sprinkler head and the fire had been extinguished.
No one was in the building when fire crews arrived.
Firefighters shut off the sprinkler system, stopping the water flow, and removed most of the standing water on the ground, reducing the level of damage to inventory, according to a fire district news release. They also moved several cabinets and cabinet-making material onto wooden blocks to prevent further damage.
A passerby noticed the water flow and called 911. No one had been in the building for hours, and the water had been flowing from the open sprinkler pipe for some time, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage, fire officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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