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Fitchburg, WI suffered a fire today. What is remarkable about the blaze, or lack thereof, is the fact the apartment fire was a single room of a multiple unit complex.

The complex where the incident occurred, 2201 Post Road in the Fairways Apartments, underwent a residential sprinkler system retrofit in 2007. The fire broke out in a kitchen and extended to a vent, where it was contained by a single sprinkler head, with smoke damage contained to the unit of origin. The unit of origin and the unit below suffered water damage. The cause of this fire is believed to be from a pan of grease on the stove.

The fire was extinguished upon arrival of the fire department, with some residents unaware of the fire.

This fire is in stark contrast to a fire that occurred in July of this year, where an 81-year-old woman lost her life when the apartment complex where she lived caught fire. That complex did not have residential sprinklers, in violation of municipal code.

These two apartment fires dramatically demonstrate the need and efficacy of residential sprinkler systems.

The fire in July cost the life of a resident. The fire today, no one was injured.

The July fire was a 3 alarm fire that lasted for hours. The fire today was out before the first fire units arrived on scene.

The July fire resulted in the entire property deemed uninhabitable. The fire today was contained to single unit, and the damage limited to two units, with the remaining residents returning to their homes within hours.

Whenever the issue of residential fire sprinklers is brought to the front of local politics, this is a simple and profound comparison that occurred within a small Wisconsin city within months. It clearly demonstrates the need for residential sprinklers. It clearly demonstrates the level of safety provided by operating sprinklers.

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