College/University (on campus), Residence Hall/Dormitory Durham, NC – Residence hall fire at Duke University controlled with help from sprinkler system November 16, 2015 viking210 About 175 students were evacuated from Randolph Residence Hall on Duke’s East Campus early Monday morning following a fire in a first floor laundry room. The fire alarm sounded about 2:25 a.m., and all building occupants were safely evacuated to the common room of Blackwell Residence Hall, which is adjacent to Randolph, for about an hour before the building was cleared for reentry. Duke University Police and the Durham Fire Department responded to the fire alarm, when a dryer caught fire. The building’s sprinkler system engaged causing some water damage, which was primarily limited to the laundry room on the west end of the building and the adjoining hallway. A locked door on the second floor was also damaged when firefighters had to forcefully enter the room to ensure no one was inside, but no rooms were damaged by the fire. An emergency services company has already begun to address the water damage. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
