Sprinkler puts out apartment fire

ST. PETERSBURG - A working sprinkler system extinguished a fire at a wood-frame apartment building Sunday evening.

The fire started just before 5:30 p.m. on a mattress in a second-story bedroom at the Anderson Guest House, 424 Second St. N., Unit 13. Residents evacuated the building when a fire alarm sounded and no injuries were reported, said St. Petersburg Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Granata.

The fire was out when firefighters arrived, Granata said. Though the cause is still undetermined, fire officials said it appeared accidental, possibly caused by a lit cigarette. The resident of the unit, who was not identified, was being interviewed by investigators, Granata said.

Damages were estimated at about $1500.

Granata said the incident shows the value of having operational alarms and sprinklers.

“Without the sprinklers putting it out, most likely it would have caused severe damage to that unit,” Granata said.

- Rita Farlow, Times staff writer