Fire Fighters say sprinkler systems aren't just for apartment buildings and offices anymore. Today, any home can have one.

Deputy Fire Chief David Gee says those systems can truly save lives and says last weekend's fire at the Ramada Inn, in downtown Eau Claire, was a prime example.

"Sprinklers aren't the end all, but they are an important and valuable tool for us and in this case the sprinkler head did it's job, exactly as it was designed and we believe prevented a much larger loss than occurred," Gee said.

He says the Ramada sprinkler helped control the fire while it was still small, preventing flames from spreading upward to the six floors above the fire-filled room.

He says by itself, a sprinkler won't put out a fire, by it will slow flames down, giving fire crews the time they need to control the blaze. But, despite all those benefits, Gee says there's still a lot of misconceptions about sprinklers.

"Sometimes you'll see a movie where somebody holds a cigarette up to a sprinkler head and all of them in the building go off, that doesn't happen, in these systems only the sprinklers that are close to high heat actually go off," Gee said.

Meaning you won't have water damage all over your home, if you have one. Gee says right now, few homes have a sprinkler system, but says the Fire Department hopes to see them in every home. Costs will vary throughout the country, and can range anywhere from two to seven dollars per square foot.

And while that may sound pricey, Gee says if you install a system you will see savings in insurance costs and federal tax incentives.

But most importantly, he says it could save your life. If you're looking for more information about installing a system Gee says you should talk to your architect or stop by your local Fire Department.