--
Nov. 23--Las Vegas Fire and Rescue credits an apartment sprinkler with containing a fire and sparing the residents of a Las Vegas apartment complex from being displaced for the holidays.
Fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said crews responded at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday to the Maryland Villas, at 701 N. 13th St., near Maryland Parkway.
Careless smoking caused the fire, which spread underneath a bedroom mattress, Szymanski said. The apartment's three occupants evacuated after the apartment's sprinkler system activated, he said.
The sprinkler contained the small fire until firefighters arrived, he said. Fire officials estimate damage at $1,000.
A typical bedroom fire that doesn't have sprinklers costs an average of $35,000 to $50,000, displacing residents for several months, Szymanski said.
The residents were treated for minor smoke inhalation at the scene, but can return to their apartment tonight after cleanup, Szymanski said.
"The sprinkler is like a fire department on duty," he said. "It keeps it in check until we get there."
Fire officials ruled the blaze accidental.
