Do fire sprinklers react to smoke?

Fire sprinklers do not react to smoke; instead, they are designed to respond directly to heat from a fire. When the temperature of the air surrounding the sprinkler head exceeds a specific threshold (usually around 155°F or 68°C for standard glass bulb sprinklers), the heat activates the sprinkler by breaking a glass bulb filled with a liquid that expands and shatters the bulb. This allows water to flow from the sprinkler head and suppress the fire.

The misconception that fire sprinklers react to smoke may stem from the role of smoke detectors, which do respond to smoke and are typically used in conjunction with sprinklers for comprehensive fire safety. However, sprinklers themselves are heat-activated devices and do not respond to smoke. Therefore, the assertion that fire sprinklers react to smoke is incorrect, making the correct option one that states they do not respond to smoke at all.