What is the primary function of a fire sprinkler system?

The primary function of a fire sprinkler system is to suppress fire before it spreads. Fire sprinklers are designed to activate automatically when a certain temperature is reached, releasing water to extinguish or control the flames. This design helps to minimize damage to the property and reduces the risk of injury to occupants, allowing time for evacuation. By targeting the fire in its early stages, the sprinkler system plays a crucial role in fire safety, often preventing a small fire from developing into a larger, more destructive blaze.

The other options highlight various aspects of fire safety but do not align with the main purpose of a fire sprinkler system. For example, while smoke evacuation is critical in fire scenarios, it is handled by smoke control systems rather than sprinklers. Similarly, signaling firefighters may involve alarms or detection systems, and protecting non-combustible materials falls under the broader scope of fire prevention measures, rather than the specific suppressive action that sprinklers perform.