Students are mopping up after a fire sprinkler drenched portions of Towers South Saturday night.

Around 6 p.m., a sprinkler went off in a student’s room in the west wing of 10th floor Towers South, leading to flooding and water damage in the rest of the residence hall. Because the sprinkler system is connected to the fire alarm, the building was evacuated and the Eau Claire fire department responded to search the building.

Freshman Crystal Schmitt lives on the ninth floor of Towers South and said she thought the alarm was just another drill until she saw the water running down the inside of her window.

“It was raining, seriously raining, in my room,” she said.

The exact cause of the activation was still unknown Saturday. Peter Rejto, assistant director for budget and physical plant operations and housing and residence life, confirmed that a student inadvertently triggered the sprinkler in his room.

Although many students claimed water seeped from the top floor to the second or the third floor, Rejto said water seeped only from the 10th floor to the seventh, adding that the water from the sprinkler was highly contained because the sprinkler was in a student’s room rather than in a wing hallway. Despite not having much time to assess the damage, Rejto said it appeared the water damage was limited to a handful of rooms.

Sophomore Steffi Kunz said she was near the 10th floor room when the sprinkler activated.

“It looked like a waterfall,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how much water was coming out of his room.”

Personnel from across the university came to attend to the flooding and help affected students begin cleaning, Rejto said.

“I think the residents are pretty satisfied with the response,” Rejto said. “Everyone responded quickly.”

For a complete story, see Thursday’s issue of The Spectator.