According to Captain Anthony Wichman, Milwaukee Fire Department, a member of the housekeeping staff emptied an ashtray in a trashcan in the housekeeping cart. The cart was in the hallway blocking the entrance to the room. While the housekeeping staff member cleaned the bathroom, the fire spread throughout the cart to the hallway walls. Smoke activated the smoke alarm. The heat from the fire eventually activated a single sprinkler in the hallway. When firefighters arrived on the 14th floor, the fire was extinguished by the single sprinkler.

"The sprinkler did what it was supposed to do," Wichman said. "That cart was filled with towels and combustible cleaning supplies. That fire had the potential to cause extreme smoke and heat damage on that floor and probably the floors above and below," he added.

Wichman said that the fire sprinkler probably saved the staff member’s life because the burning cart prevented her from being able to exit the room.

"Thirty firefighters responded to that fire alarm," Wichman said. "We were able to send 20 firefighters back to the station in minutes because of that sprinkler system. When a building like that is protected with sprinklers it prevents our firefighters from being in danger," he said

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