Category Archives: College/University (on campus)

College/University (on campus), School / University

Tyler, TX – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling fire at UT-Tyler dining hall

A small fire broke out in the kitchen area of the MET dining hall at the University of Texas at Tyler’s University Center Monday afternoon. A UT Tyler official said the fire triggered the sprinkler system only in the kitchen area.   Tyler fire units responded, but the fire was quickly brought under the control and most units were turned back.  The extent of the damage is unknown at this time, and the MET dining hall kitchen will be closed until the damage is cleaned and the health department has inspected the area.  No injuries were reported.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Athens, GA – Fire in University of Georgia residence hall controlled with help from sprinkler system

UPDATE: University Housing sent a letter to Brumby Hall residents this morning at 8:42 a.m. with a report of the evacuation. The letter said the fire alarms went off due to “a fire in the trash room of Brumby Hall,” causing the sprinkler system to activate. The letter also said no dorms were damaged with smoke or water. No one was injured as a result of the fire, “thanks to the cooperation of residents and the action of housing staff and emergency personnel.”  “Security of residents is our utmost priority,” the email said. “Therefore residents are required to evacuate the building anytime the alarm sounds.”

ORIGINAL: At approximately 7 p.m. Monday night, the fire alarm in Brumby Residence Hall at the University of Georgia sounded. Students were stranded outside for over three hours after two additional fire alarms were sounded following the initial alarm. When students were evacuating once the alarm was sounded, a resident assistant was heard notifying students departing from the emergency exits, “No, it’s not a false alarm.”

Payton Eason, a freshman psychology major from Villa Rica and resident at Brumby, was worried after hearing that the fire alarms were not false. “I thought this was going to be just another false alarm that we have almost weekly at Brumby. Turns out, there’s actually smoke, and the hall is literally on fire. Now, we’ve been here for more than two hours, sitting out here stranded,” Eason said.

Eason explained she was working on homework when the alarm sounded. “I have lots of homework due tonight at 10 p.m…Unfortunately, all my books, notes, and Macbook are up in the dorm so I guess I’m just stuck here until it’s all clear,” Eason said.  By 8:45 p.m., the alarm was off, but students were still stranded outside waiting for the all-clear from authorities to reenter the building.  Taylor Johnson, a freshman biology major from Columbus, heard prior to being cleared to return to the residence halls that the first floor was flooded from trying to extinguish the fire.

“My friend received a message and said that someone threw something in the trash chute that caught fire. It caused the sprinklers to go off and now the first floor is flooded,” Johnson said. As of 10 p.m., students were still not allowed to reenter the residence hall. By around 10:50 p.m., students began making their way back to their dorms in Brumby.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Salt Lake City, UT – Fire at University of Utah biology building extinguished by sprinkler system

A small fire ignited Saturday morning in the University of Utah’s biology building. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system before crews from the Salt Lake City Fire Department arrived on the scene. The cause of the fire was not yet known as of late Saturday morning, but an investigator was expected to examine the scene later in the day.

Apartment Building, College/University (on campus), Residential

Kelowna, BC, Canada – Overnight fire at university apartment complex doused by sprinkler system

An apartment building at UBCO was evacuated early Monday as the result of a fire. The fire was reported at around 12 a.m. in a unit at Discovery Avenue at UBCO.  “First in Engine reported smoke and sprinkler activation in a second floor unit at this location,” Platoon Captain Kelly Stephens said.  He said the cause of the fire was bedding and a mattress placed against a baseboard heater, and added that fire sprinklers had doused the fire before it could spread.  The lone occupant of the unit managed to escape unharmed.  Water damage was contained to the second floor unit and six units below.  All affected students have been allowed to return to their units.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Dillingham, AK – Sprinkler system credited with containing fire at University of Alaska-Fairbanks

An early morning alarm called Dillingham’s Volunteer Fire Department to the UAF Bristol Bay Applied Sciences Building Thursday. The building, across the street from the main campus, is known by most as the Old Napa Building.  Fire Chief Norman Heyano credited the sprinkler system with containing the fire, which crews helped extinguish. He said there was light water and smoke damage.  The fire appeared to have been caused by one of two boilers in a utility room. Volunteer firefighters were off the scene a little past 6:00 a.m. Maintenance crews were working to repair damage later in the day, and campus staff appeared to be back to work as usual Thursday.

 

 

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, College/University (on campus)

Lewiston, ID – Laundry fire at on-campus college activity center put out by single sprinkler

A fire at Lewis-Clark State College late last night caused an estimated $25,000 in damage. According to a press release, Lewiston Fire crews were dispatched to a reported water flow alarm at the Activity Center at 11:40 p.m.  Once on scene, crews were advised by LCSC security personnel that an alarm was sounding in the activity center. Initial crews began a search and found smoke in the basement.

“The basement had several areas near the locker room with water on the floor. After searching several rooms, it was discovered that there had been a fire in a dryer in the laundry room, and the sprinkler system had a single head that had activated and extinguished the fire,” the press release states.

Fire crews remained on scene for another hour to assist with getting the sprinkler system shut down, evacuating the smoke, and to confirm there was no extension of the fire. The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction with the commercial dryer in the laundry room. The department responded with three structural engines, one ambulance, one truck, one service unit, and one chief officer, totaling 13 personnel. There were no citizen or firefighter injuries to report.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Williamsburg, VA – Sprinkler system activates to help control fire at College of William & Mary law school

The law school at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg was evacuated shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday because of a fire, according to the college. A small fire triggered the sprinkler system in a room on the second floor, Williamsburg fire chief Pat Dent told the Daily Press of Newport News.  That floor houses faculty offices.  The law school is expected to remain closed until 1:30 p.m.  No injuries have been reported.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Greencastle, IN – Early morning fire at DePauw University residence hall extinguish by sprinkler system; No injuries

No students were injured in a small early-morning Tuesday fire at a DePauw University residence hall.  At 3:12 a.m., the Greencastle Fire Department was dispatched to Mason Hall at 402 E. Anderson St. on the report of a fire alarm.

Fire crews arrived two minutes later and began a search of the building. They discovered light smoke in Room 310, with the sprinkler system having already extinguished a small fire.

Greencastle Fire Chief John Burgess reported the fire appears to have originated from a piece of electrical equipment, but the case remains under investigation. The fire and sprinkler activation were contained to a single room, with an estimated $20,000 in damage occurring due to water.

Burgess reported no structural damage, noting that the sprinkler system performed its function of containing and extinguishing the fire. “Everything worked like it should,” he said.

The alarm led to the evacuation of the building. In an early morning email to faculty and staff, university president Mark McCoy reported that many students went to the Memorial Student Union Building or other campus structures.

McCoy further stated that a total of 140 students are housed in Mason but many had already left campus for Thanksgiving.

“As a campus, let’s give thanks for the fact that everyone is safe,” McCoy wrote to the staff, “and that is in large part to the great work of the Greencastle Fire Department, campus police and our caring and capable student life staff.”

Firefighters remained on the scene until 6:14 a.m. The building was reopened to students later Tuesday morning.

Mason Hall is a four-story structure situated on the Ubben Quad of the DePauw campus.

While false alarms are common in DePauw structures, longtime members of the campus community know they are not something to be taken lightly.

In April 2002 Rector Hall, which had been adjacent to Mason Hall, was destroyed by fire.

Although all students escaped safely, a pair of firefighters were injured in the large blaze that required 12 departments to combat.

The Rector Hall fire was caused by an electrical problem.

College/University (on campus), School / University

Champaign, IL – Sprinkler system activates to help control parking garage fire at University of Illinois

At around 3 p.m. on Friday, firefighters were called to Presby Hall after an automatic fire alarm went off. With smoke exiting the parking garage, firefighters sprayed water on the building in conjunction with the sprinkler system going off.

The fire appeared to be caused by a malfunction with a cooking unit, said Roger Cruz, captain of the Champaign Fire department.
Several students claim that brisket grilled in the garage sparked the malfunction. Because of the enclosed space, subsequent smoke led to the fire. That speculation, however, has not been confirmed by the authorities.

Other students speculate a gas leak as the source. They claimed to see gas when entering the parking garage, where they too saw the cooking unit on fire.

Fire-related emergencies are not new to Presby Hall. Hannah Thompson, freshman in Engineering, said the fire alarm has gone off almost weekly at Presby. She claims this is the eleventh time that has happened this year.

“It’s gotten really inconvenient but it’s okay,” said Thompson. “It’s something exciting every week.”  The quick response time to these types of emergencies reassures her.
“I suppose it’s good that the fire alarms are so sensitive and the fire trucks are always here relatively quickly,” said Thompson.

“Thankfully no one’s hurt,” said Luke Peterson, freshman in DGS.

College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory

Santa Barbara, CA – Residence hall fire controlled with help from sprinkler system

Around 200 Westmont students were displaced Monday when a fire broke out inside a storage closet at one of the college’s dorms, leaving a student with burns to his feet, according to school officials.

Firefighters responded to Page Hall at 955 La Paz in Montecito early Monday evening to reports of the fire and found heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the three-story building.

The Montecito Fire Department says a second-alarm response was then requested due to the number of people in the building that could be in harms way.

The students were evacuated and the fire controlled, with the help of a fire sprinkler system, by 6:15 p.m. The injured student was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

School officials say power was out at the dorm and students were being set up with alternative housing for the night. Some reportedly stayed on cots in Murchison Gym and others stayed at the homes of faculty and staff.

No student rooms were damaged by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  Westmont’s fall semester began August 29.