An elevator system with a fire protection device includes an elevator shaft having at least two adjacent shaft portions, a guide rail in the elevator shaft, a car displaceable on the guide rail, and a fire protection device having a detector, a control unit connected to the detector, and a closing element that is disposed between two mutually adjacent shaft portions of the elevator shaft and which is movable between an open and closed state to separate the two shaft portions while in the closed state. A method of operating a fire protection device for an elevator system includes detecting smoke and/or a fire via a detector, and transferring a closing element disposed in the elevator shaft from an opened state to a closed state.