Special to Iredell Free News

Significant damage was averted on Sunday when a grease fire ignited in the kitchen of Hilton Garden Inn in Mooresville. Although the hood suppression system activated, the fire spread to nearby cardboard boxes but was successfully extinguished by the building’s fire sprinkler system when three sprinkler heads activated, authorities said.

According to Assistant Fire Marshal Jeff Sickles, Mooresville Fire-Rescue was dispatched to an automatic fire alarm shortly after 5:30 p.m. Sunday. A grease fire in the kitchen caused the hood suppression system to activate but was unable to keep the fire from spreading to nearby cardboard boxes.

Fortunately, when the hotel was built in 2007, building codes required the installation of a fire sprinkler system. In this case, three sprinkler heads activated and extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived, keeping the hotel’s occupants and the $11 million building protected.

Damage was limited to a small area of the kitchen and water from the sprinkler system.

The US Fire Administration recommends travelers select only hotels and motels with fire sprinklers installed.