“The fire alarm and sprinkler system worked exactly as designed, saving both lives and property,” Chief Brian Scott said in a release.
Fire crews arrived at a three-story apartment building at the corner of Barton Avenue and Cleveland Street shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, according to the release.
The first firefighters to arrive could hear fire alarms going off and see residents evacuating from inside, it said. The crew from Engine 24 went inside and headed down a hallway filled with smoke to the burning bedroom.
A sprinkler had been spraying water on the fire, keeping it in check and allowing the firefighters to extinguish the remaining fire without any further loss of property.
Every new apartment and condo building built in Evanston must include an audible alarm and a sprinkler protection system, according to the release.
The rehabbed five-unit brick building was built in 1928, according to a listing for the property, which was offered for sale for $975,000 in October 2015.
The management company of the more than nine-decade-old apartment building retrofitted it with sprinklers, according to the fire department, bringing it up to code with current city ordinances.
