Fire forces building evacuations

A one-alarm chemical fire behind the Quadrangle last night forced the temporary evacuation of all of the buildings on Hamilton Walk, police said. No one was injured in the incident. The blaze attracted hordes of firefighters and Hazardous Materials trucks but few student spectators, since it occurred in a chemistry laboratory in the southernmost section of campus. The fire began at approximately 7:15 p.m. in Room 415 of the Anatomy-Chemistry Building on Guardian Drive near Leidy Laboratories and the Veterans Affairs Hospital. All buildings on Hamilton Walk were then temporarily evacuated. The causes of the fire, which was reported to police at 7:22 p.m. by onlookers who saw smoke, were unknown as of 10:45 p.m. last night, according to University Police Sgt. Joseph Risoli. Risoli said the fire was "not suspicious." Risoli estimated that five rooms on the fourth floor suffered damage, although Room 415 was the only one severely damaged by the blaze. Nearby rooms were damaged primarily by smoke as well as by the firefighters and Fire Department hazardous material teams, who used water to extinguish the flames and broke windows to ventilate the building.

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