Fire alarms and sprinkler systems are being credited for minimizing the damage caused by a fire that broke out at Boston Pizza in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Castlegar fire Chief Gerry Rempel said thanks to the fire monitoring system set up in the restaurant, crews were able to get to the fire quickly even though no one was in the building at the time.

Although the cause of the fire hasn’t yet been determined, Rempel said the location was on the second floor, where offices and laundry services are.

“All the equipment is up there in that service area,” he said. “The first floor was affected from water damage. The sprinkler system activated in the area where the fire was but the water ran down through the wall and through the ceiling.”

The preliminary estimate of damage is $50,000, Rempel said.

There is no word yet on when the restaurant will reopen, but he noted contractors have already been inside to fix the heating system and to isolate the electrical system.

No surrounding businesses were affected by the fire.