Students in University Village Building 6 were woken up by fire alarms and the sprinkler system at about 2:30 a.m.
Firefighters arrived at the scene approximately five minutes after the alarms went off, but according to a message a Resident Assistant sent in the building GroupMe, there “wasn’t an actual fire hazard.”
A resident of the building told The Hurricane she heard a man discussing how his roommate’s friend threw a football that hit and broke the sprinkler, triggering the alarms.
The Hurricane verified a video showing male students surrounding a trash can they had placed under a sprinkler that was pouring water.
The incident occurred on the fourth floor, and neighbors a few doors down did not suffer from water damage. At the time of publication, it is unknown whether any apartments were affected by the water.
The Hurricane contacted the University for information but has not yet received a response.
Fire sprinklers are activated by high temperatures, not by smoke, so cooking or a candle will not activate them, according to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.
Heat from a fire can cause a glass tube in the sprinkler to break or melt a smolder plug, both of which cause a release of water. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire opens, confining the water to the source of the danger.
The Hurricane contacted the University and asked how UV’s specific sprinkler systems work, but has not yet received a response.
Students were allowed to reenter the building around 3 a.m., at which point a reporter with The Hurricane saw two people — who appeared to be staff members — standing outside of an open apartment door. A suitcase labeled “FRAGILE,” some belongings and the recycling and trash cans were outside of the apartment.