Maine Firefighters Credit Sprinkler with Saving Old Portland Building

The Portland Fire Department is crediting a new sprinkler system with helping save a building in the city’s Old Port District from serious damage or destruction.

City firefighters were called to the building at 10 Exchange St., just before 1 a.m. Wednesday where they found a fire in an out-of-service elevator shaft that had been suppressed by the sprinkler.

Deputy Fire Chief Michael Shutts says that without the sprinkler the fire would have spread uncontrolled throughout the building with “significant loss of property to Portland’s Old Port.”

Officials say the new sprinkler system was extended to the second floor this summer following inspections of the structure by fire officials who found what they considered to be significant deficiencies.