Automatic sprinkler system extinguishes fire at Gates Rubber Corp.

One unit from the Columbia Fire Department was called to an automatic fire alarm at 3015 Lemone Industrial Blvd, otherwise known as Gates Rubber Corp., on Monday.

9-1-1 operators talked with an employee who said there was a small fire in a chemical room. More units were then sent to the scene.

Fire crews arrived on the scene and found out that a fire in a chemical room had been extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system. The fire was contained to the room it started in.

One employee sustained minor burns during the fire, but left for medical care in a private vehicle before fire crews got to the scene.

The Columbia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire. The cause is still under investigation, but it has been confirmed that the fire started in the area of a chemical distiller.