Residence halls evacuated again

By Justin Myers

Published April 24, 2007

Residents of the Hudson and Gillett residence halls were evacuated after a second fire in less than a week triggered a fire alarm Sunday night. The alarm was the fourth in eight days for Gillett.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, an electrical fire started in a maintenance workshop in the basement of Hudson, according to a Columbia Fire Department news release.

The release stated a fan motor overheated to start the fire.

"(The fan) was just an item that got left on that, in most cases, one would think that you could leave on, and it just happened to burn out," Residential Academic Programs Associate Director Kristen Temple said.

The fire was unrelated to the one Hudson and Gillett residents experienced in conjunction with a power outage April 17.

Three engine companies and a division commander responded to the fire, Battalion Chief Steven Sapp said.

According to the release, the fire caused less than $10,000 in estimated total damages.

Sapp said he is appreciative of the residents' response to the two fires.

"It's a tremendous inconvenience for them to be out twice in one week, but we appreciate the way they're conducting themselves," Sapp said.

Nick Woodbury, a Gillett resident, has been evacuated four times. He said he is getting used to evacuating.

"I think we are becoming pros at this sort of thing because it seems to be a regular occurrence," he said. "We're just hoping that for the last three weeks of school that we will all be able to calm down and get those last-minute tests and assignments finished. I couldn't imagine what would happen if an alarm went off during finals week."

Even after students were allowed back in the building, they had to be kept out of the basement while the fire department investigated what caused the incident.

"Signs help about 95 percent of the time to keep people out but probably attract about 5 percent," Sapp said.

Gillett resident Patrick Berry said the alarms are becoming routine.

"One more fire alarm and I'm this close to reaching over and trying to hit the snooze button," Berry said.

Displaced Hudson resident Nicole Hegger said even though she was frustrated, she sees the evacuation's positive side.

"It's frustrating, but they're all keeping us safe," Hegger said.

Sapp said he doesn't consider the multiple alarms to be an inconvenience for the fire department.

"It's a routine day," Sapp said. "I mean, it's what we do."

But Temple said she sees the multiple incidents as a potential safety risk.

"There's always the concern with multiple evacuations that people get complacent, and they decide to stay in their rooms and not evacuate," Temple said. "If it indeed is a real fire, that's not the right place to be."

Sapp said students need to evacuate for all fire alarms regardless of when they sound.

"It's just not worth risking your life over a false alarm," Sapp said.