Minor fire breaks out in Hamilton House

A small fire broke out in a 21st-floor Hamilton College House apartment yesterday morning when a toaster perched on a stove top caught on fire. All four of the apartment's residents were home at the time and used a fire extinguisher to put out most of the blaze before firefighters arrived, according to Penn Director of Fire and Occupational Safety Harry Cusick. There were no reported injuries and officials have ruled the fire accidental, Cusick said. Around 60 evacuated students and staff members gathered outside the building around 10 a.m. while officials inspected the scene. Re-entry to the residence was granted at about 10:35 a.m. The fire began when a plastic-covered toaster began smoldering while sitting on a lit oven burner, according to fire officials. The fire did not spread further than the kitchen in which it originated, leaving the rest of the apartment and floor unscathed. "It was a small fire in dollar value, but it could have been very serious," Cusick said, citing "poor storage of materials near a heat source" as a careless act that could result in harm. "They put it out just in time," Firefighter Mark Travin said. "Thank God for extinguishers in the rooms." The residents of the apartment were temporarily relocated to another floor for at least a few days while the kitchen is repaired, Cusick said. Cusick noted that the stove and surrounding cabinets and wiring incurred some damage, but that overall, the blaze was small and damages minimal. The fire was the third to hit Hamilton House this year. During this year's Spring Fling festivities, a fire caused by an overheated computer monitor gutted the bedroom of an 11th floor apartment. And this past fall, another small fire -- this time caused by a lit cigarette in a trash can -- broke out in a sixth floor Hamilton apartment. A series of false alarms -- due to faults in the system -- has also plagued the facility this year, possibly contributing to student apathy in responding to alarms. But while Penn officials criticized many students for failing to evacuate the building during the Spring Fling blaze, Cusick lauded the residents and staff as very responsive during yesterday's incident. "They did a good job," Cusick said. "The people who were around did leave properly."