Category Archives: College/University (on campus)

College/University (on campus), School / University

Provo, UT – FIre inside storage cabinet stopped by fire sprinklers inside BYU campus building

Firefighters responded to a fire in the Ezra Taft Benson building this morning. The fire had already been contained when they arrived.

Public Information Officer Captain Sam Armstrong said Provo Fire and Rescue received a call from BYU at 10:53 a.m. saying hydrogen was on fire.

Armstrong said the department sent firefighters from multiple stations in case of the fire being a catastrophic event. “We would rather be prepared and send everybody than be behind the ball and try and play catch up.”

Armstrong was unable to confirm exactly what it was that had caught on fire, but he said the fire was contained in a storage cabinet that had a fire suppression sprinkler inside it.

When Provo Fire and Rescue arrived, it found the fire suppression sprinkler had already put the fire out. Firefighters then worked with BYU Engineering to help shut down the water system so the water didn’t cause damage.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Amherst, MA – Dorm room sprinkler system bookcase that caught on fire; No injuries reported

At least six University of Massachusetts students have been displaced following a fire that started in their dorm early Friday morning. 

Assistant Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren said firefighters responded to Maple Hall in the Commonwealth Honors College around 3:30 a.m. for an alarm. Soon after, the department received reports of smoke on the second floor, he said.

Stromgren said the fire started on a wooden bookcase in a student’s bedroom. The young woman woke up to the fire alarm and left the building, and the sprinkler system controlled the fire until firefighters arrived, Stromgren said. 

The entire dorm was evacuated for three hours, except for the second floor, which students were not allowed to re-enter for an even longer period of time due to water mitigation, Stromgren said. Students were brought to the nearby Roots Cafe during the evacuation to keep warm, he said.

At least six people who lived in the suite in which the fire started have been displaced indefinitely, Stromgren said.

“UMass is making arrangements for them,” he said.

Amherst fire investigators and the state fire marshal’s office are investigating the fire, Stromgren said. It is believed the fire was unintentional and accidental, he said, and no one was hurt.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Hanover, NH – Bathroom fire at Dartmouth fraternity contained thanks to fire sprinklers

Local fire departments on Sunday afternoon responded to a fire at Phi Delta Alpha fraternity. The fire was confined to the third-floor bathroom of the fraternity and quickly extinguished, according to Hanover Fire Department captain Michael Gilbert.

The fire tripped a heat sensor on a third-floor sprinkler of the fraternity, leading water to spread and seep to the lower floors of the building. He said that representatives from the College will determine the implications of the damage — namely, if residents will be able to continue to reside in the building.

Associate director of residential operations Bernard Haskell said residents of the building would be rehoused in residence halls until the Hanover Fire Department confirms that the building is safe and the fraternity decides to allow students to return. Phi Delt is taking measures to repair damage done by the fire in order to make the house habitable again, according to Haskell.

“They’re reaching out to contractors now,” Haskell said.

As of press time, Phi Delt president Sean Keough ’20 said that he did not know about the extent and implications of the fire. 

The Hanover, Hartford and Lebanon fire departments all responded to the incident. 

College/University (on campus), Other - School / University, School / University

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at LSU baseball stadium

Firefighters were called out to Alex Box Stadium for a fire before 1 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department reported crews received the call about the fire at 12:40 a.m.

Officials said members of the LSU Police Department told responding firefighters there was a fire but the sprinkler system had doused the flames.

According to BRFD, police officers said a cardboard box had been put on top of a dryer and caught fire. The firefighters stayed on scene long enough to make sure the fire was out.

Fire officials added the power was turned off temporarily as a precaution. The laundry room and other nearby areas received water damage from the sprinkler system. Officials estimated the damage to be about $25,000.

No. 11 LSU defeated Indiana, 8-1, just a couple hours before the fire department responded to the fire.

There was no indication the fire would affect Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader between LSU and Indiana.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Anchorage, AK – Fire caused by a malfunctioning switchboard at university stopped by sprinkler system

After a two-week closure of the Administration/Humanities Building due to a fire, the building is now reopened as of Oct. 14.

The Sept. 29 fire started due to electrical malfunctions in the building’s main distribution switchboard. The sprinkler system was triggered by the fire, but there was little water damage to the building and its equipment, according to Deputy Director of Facilities and Campus Services, Ryan Buchholdt.

The cause behind the switchboard malfunction is under investigation. Buchholdt speculated that the age of the equipment may have contributed to the cause of the fire.

“The fire was contained within the main distribution switchboard, resulting in a total power outage until repairs could be completed,” Buchholdt said.

The utility service is connected to the building by the switchboard, which is designed specifically for the Administration/Humanities Building. Replacement parts for the switchboard are not readily available, Buchholdt said, so new parts had to be engineered and others ordered, which took several weeks.

The fire started on a Sunday afternoon, so there was little time to reschedule classes in the building, Buchholdt said. All classes the following Monday, Sept. 30, were canceled by University Leadership. They were relocated to various buildings around campus throughout the rest of the week.

“Fifty-six class sections and approximately 70 faculty and staff had to be temporarily relocated to other places on campus until the building could be reopened,” Buchholdt said.

The relocation was organized by the Office of the Registrar. The Alaska Middle College classes also held in the building were relocated to the UAA/APU Consortium Library.

Lindsey Chadwell, the University Registrar of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, communicated the incident to as many people as possible through social media.

“We worked jointly on messaging with the Office of University Advancement, which sent out broad communications via email, social media and the UAA website alerting the campus community to the building’s closure,” Chadwell said.

In addition to the 56 classes, the offices of the Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services and some members of University Advancement are also located in the Administration/Humanities Building. These offices were relocated to the University Lake Building by Facilities and Campus Services. Smaller units were relocated to the UAA/APU Consortium Library and Professional Studies Building. Staff in the building were also given the opportunity to work from home via computer if they were able to do so.

All main electrical equipment that is similar in age to the switchboard will be inspected by Facilities and Campus Services. Regular inspections will also continue, Buchholdt said.

“In addition to steps that can prevent this sort of incident in the future, our Incident Management Team, which includes representatives from University Police, Facilities and Campus Services, Dean of Students Office and University Advancement, will evaluate the overall response to find ways to improve our emergency practices,” Buchholdt said.

For more information on the Administration/Humanities Building fire and equipment inspections, contact Facilities and Campus Services through its page on the UAA website.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system contained fire on university campus; No injuries reported

According to a statement issued by the Vancouver school, the “small fire” was discovered early Saturday morning but was fully extinguished and there were no injuries.

“While there is limited damage from the fire and the sprinkler system, we are grateful that it is not more extensive,” the statement read.

“The areas most impacted are the Research and Industry Office and Painting and Drawing studios on Level 4. There is also some water damage in other areas of the building.”

The school, located at 520 East 1st Ave., remains closed on Sunday while restoration crews continue the mop-up and repair, and as Vancouver police continue their investigation into the cause of the fire.

“We would like to thank members of the Emily Carr community for their patience and understanding,” the statement read.

School officials expect to issue an update no later than 6 a.m. on Monday about whether the school will re-open on Monday.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Las Cruces, NM – Electrical appliance fire on university campus extinguished by sprinkler system

Officials with New Mexico State University reported a fire on campus Monday morning.

The fire took place at the Engineering Complex III building around 5:30 a.m.

The fire chief with the NMSU Fire Department said it was contained to one room.

NMSU officials said an electrical appliance overheated. The fire was extinguished by the building’s automatic sprinkler system.

Extensive water damage was reported.

Portions of the building are open; other areas will be closed as crews work to clean the area.

The school advises students to check with their professors for any alternative class locations.

The university’s website showed the building would be closed Monday morning.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Ithaca, NY – University residence hall kitchen fire kept in check by sprinkler system

On Sunday, just before 1 p.m., Ithaca Firefighters, along with Cornell University Environmental Health and Safety workers to the Alice Cook House, a residential dorm on University Avenue for a kitchen fire. The cause of the fire was found to be boxes left on the stove which ignited, setting the third-floor kitchen ablaze. Luckily, a working sprinkler system was in place and kept the fire at bay until firefighters were able to arrive on the scene. 

College/University (on campus), School / University

Reno, NV – Sprinkler system extinguishes basement boiler explosion that caused fire at University

A small explosion in a basement boiler at a University of Nevada, Reno dormitory triggered a much larger natural gas blast last week that left part of the building looking like an earthquake had struck but caused only minor injuries to eight people, officials said Tuesday.

The initial explosion occurred Friday at Argenta Hall while a contractor was working on the boiler that had developed mechanical problems and was shut down earlier in the week, state Fire Marshal Bart Chambers said.

Preliminary information showed the initial blast started a small fire that was extinguished by sprinkler systems.

Chambers said natural gas started leaking from a 3-inch-diameter feeder line to the boiler, but investigators have not yet determined how the gas ignited.

The boiler in question had no history of safety violations or active inspection issues, he said, noting it was last inspected 18 months ago in compliance with state codes mandating checks every two years.

Shannon Ellis, UNR vice president of student services, said students, faculty and staff members were “feeling incredibly grateful that there were no serious injuries and no lives were lost.”

Argenta will remain closed for at least a year, possibly two. Nye Hall, a neighboring dorm damaged by the explosion, will stay closed into the fall, Ellis said.

About 200 students have been displaced and school officials were trying to establish living arrangements for 1,300 students expected for the fall semester

College/University (on campus), School / University

Amherst, MA – Fire from an oven malfunction at college science center quickly put out by fire sprinkler system; No injuries reported

No one was hurt after an oven malfunctioned and caused a fire inside one of the labs at Amherst College’s Science Center Friday evening.

The college’s spokeswoman Caroline Hanna described the fire at the Science Center as small and was quickly put out by the building’s sprinkler system.

Amherst Fire Chief Tim Nelson told 22News firefighters and police were alerted after alarms activated at the Science Center located at 25 East Drive shortly after 7 p.m.

“There were no injuries and property damage was minimized. The fire started when a piece of equipment in one of the biology labs on the third floor overheated. The lab sustained some smoke damage, and there is some water damage in the spaces below the lab. No other portion of the building was affected.”

 CAROLINE HANNA, AMHERST COLLEGE SPOKESWOMAN

The Science Center was unoccupied at the time. Chief Nelson explained that the building’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading throughout the rest of the building.

The building will be cleaned and systems will be restored before opening on Saturday, Hanna told 22News.

All off-duty Amherst firefighters were called in to assist as well as officials from the Hadley Fire Department and ambulance services from Belchertown, Northampton, and South County.

The South Hadley Fire Department covered the Amherst fire station while crews assisted with the fire at the Science Center.