Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential Bloomington, IL – Residence hall fire at Illinois Wesleyan University contained by sprinkler system; 135 student residents safe April 20, 2015 viking210 No one was injured when a fire broke out Friday night in a residence hall on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus. An automatic sprinkler kept the fire at bay until firefighters extinguished it. Students were evacuated from upper-level rooms in Gulick Hall, 109 University St., but were allowed to return about 10:30 p.m., said IWU spokesman Matt Kurz. A faulty office copier is blamed for the blaze that caused an estimated $50,000 in damage. The Bloomington Fire Department reported damage to the building and contents with smoke and water damage throughout the first floor and offices of Residential Life. The building’s design prevented much smoke from entering the living areas, Deputy Chief Les Siron said. Smoke was so heavy when firefighters arrived about 9 p.m. that they had to use a thermal imaging camera to find the fire, Siron said. The fire was reported via an automatic alarm. Gulick is a first-year hall with capacity for 135 residents, Kurz said.
