A fire broke out at a multi-family residence on Russell Slade Blvd. in Coralville late Monday afternoon, but thanks to a sprinkler system, the blaze was quickly brought under control.

The Coralville Fire Department responded to the scene at approximately 5:15 p.m., discovering that the fire had started in the kitchen of one of the apartments.

The sprinkler system activated immediately, containing and extinguishing the fire before it could spread to other parts of the building. As a result, the apartment suffered only minor smoke and water damage.

Sprinkler systems are designed to automatically respond to fires, either controlling or extinguishing them before they have a chance to grow. They reduces fire damage and give people extra time to evacuate safely.

The Coralville Fire Department say a well-maintained sprinkler system can be the difference between a minor incident and a catastrophic event.