A fire in the rear work area of My Neighbor in Need was extinguished by the sprinkler system Tuesday evening.  Nobody was injured in the fire.  The Times Square building is at 525 Central Ave.

Ron Martin, deputy fire marshal for Great Falls Fire/Rescue, said the fire was likely caused by a candle that employees were burning in the area while waxing over screws to repair a chair.  Employees extinguished the candle, but when it was placed upright in a plastic toolbox, it was still smoldering and caught the toolbox on fire, according to Martin and Snuggs.

The heat from the fire was enough to activate a nearby sprinkler head, which quickly extinguished the fire.  “The system worked as designed,” Martin said, whose office heads up the department’s fire prevention efforts.

On Wednesday afternoon, GFFR ruled the fire accidental and controlled by automatic sprinkler system.  “That is such a blessing, because it could have been so much worse,” Snuggs said by phone Wednesday afternoon. “We can’t speak enough of how well the sprinklers worked, and the fire department was here in minutes and did an outstanding job.”

Martin said the fire was extinguished when firefighters arrived a few minutes after the alarm system notified GFFR.  Snuggs said the damage is estimated at $50,000 or less and My Neighbor in Need’s insurance will cover the cleanup and repairs.