Lab fire
at CU-Boulder chemistry building doused by sprinklers
By Melanie Asmar
Posted:
09/29/2009 10:27:38 AM MDT
Fire officials are investigating a minor laboratory
fire at the University of Colorado=92s Cristol Chemistry and
Biochemistry Building early this morning that caused no injuries and was
extinguished by the sprinkler system.
The fire
occurred in a fume hood in Lab 120 of the building, said campus
spokesman Bronson Hilliard. Though the cause of this morning=92s fire is
still unknown, Hilliard said fume-hood fires are often caused by
chemical reactions.
No one was in the building when the fire alarm went
off at 5:55 a.m., officials said. The sprinkler system activated
immediately, Hilliard said, and a single sprinkler was able to
extinguish nearly the entire fire. When firefighters arrived, they put
out the remaining flames by patting them with their gloves, he
said.
Cristol remains closed while officials determine the
cause of the fire and the extent of damage to the laboratory. It=92s
unclear when the building will reopen but it likely won=92t be today,
Hilliard said.
Officials sent a message about the fire to CU
students, faculty and staff via the Campus Alerts text-messaging system
at 6:43 a.m. to tell them that Cristol would be closed, Hilliard said.
Because it was used this morning, a test of the system planned for this
afternoon has been cancelled.
However, volunteers will still be in the University
Memorial Center today to help people sign up for the system, through
which officials can send messages of 132 characters or less to cell
phones in its database during an emergency.
