A fire broke out early this afternoon on the side of McDonough Field near Few and Evans Residence Halls.
Between 1:30 p.m. and 1:40 p.m., students evacuated Few and Evans after a fire alarm rang. As they crowded across the street from the buildings on Eagle Row, firetrucks and police cars arrived at the scene. Firefighters were able to contain the fire before 2 p.m.
An Emory Police Department (EPD) officer at the scene said the exact cause of the fire is currently unknown, but it may have been started by a discarded cigarette.
EPD will release more details as they become known, and the Wheel will continue to provide updates.
Update 3 p.m.
Complex Director of Few and Evans Halls Kyle Griffith wrote in an email to residents at around 2:40 p.m. that the fire smoke may cause some interruptions to the building’s Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system. He added that the system should be back to normal as soon as Campus Services receives the “all clear” from the fire department.
“Despite how the hill may look now, natural fires help to reset ecosystems such as the one we have here,” he wrote.
In the email, he also gave his thanks to the first responders: EPD, DeKalb County Fire Rescue and Emory Campus Services.
– By Karishma Mehrotra
News Editor Nicholas Sommariva and Asst. Student Life Editor Jenna Kingsley contributed reporting.
Fires started by discarded cigarettes should not be considered natural fires that “help to reset ecosystems”. They are careless and reckless acts that simply cause property damage, financial expenditures and unnecessary loss of labor and manpower hours.
This is the perfect time for a reminder about fire safety on campus from our Fire Safety team. Read this article in The Post, our Emory alumni blog. http://thepost.emory.edu/2013/02/14/fire-safety-tips-to-know/