UNION GAP, Washington (From the Yakima Herald) -- Fire officials are crediting an International Paper facility's sprinkler system with keeping an early morning fire contained to a dust hopper.

Firefighters found fire coming from one of the hoppers on the roof at the International Paper facility on Tuesday. The fire appeared to have started when a hot ember got inside the dust-collection system, according to a news release from the Yakima Fire Department. Firefighters put out the flames and removed debris from inside the hopper to prevent any additional fires, the release said.

The building's sprinklers kept the fire from spreading, the release said.

"Without the sprinkler system, this building could have burned and potentially been a total loss," Yakima fire Capt. Jeff Pfaff said in the release.

No estimate was given on the total cost of the damage.