A fire in a West Yorkshire tannery on 2 February 2008 was stopped by a single sprinkler, according to West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service. The fire started when a fire, used to warm up fat, was accidentally left on while the factory was closed for the weekend. The heater caused a plastic barrel containing fat to smolder and ignite.

On arrival at the scene the incident commander reported that one sprinkler head had extinguished the fire with minimal damage. The factory was able to resume business on Monday morning. The company says that the sprinkler system saved the jobs of 50 people and potential insurance losses of £9m.