Efforts are under way in Stouffer College House to repair the damage caused by Monday's kitchen fire, and the 21 displaced residents will remain at the Sheraton University City Hotel until this weekend.
The remaining 111 Stouffer residents were forced to evacuate again at midnight yesterday after another fire alarm -- this one false.
Director of Fire and Emergency Services Ted Bateman said that the alarm may have been the result of a malfunction in the sprinkler system. No further damage to rooms was reported.
There will be ongoing meetings during the week with various experts to "identify and isolate and repair whatever the issue is," he said.
In the meantime, workers will continue to clean and dehumidify the 17 rooms which were damaged by water and smoke on Monday.
"Seven rooms will be available Friday, most likely the rest by Saturday," Bateman said. "With an emphasis on likely."
New carpeting will be put into rooms that were damaged. The kitchen area where the fire occurred is having a portion of the drywall removed and replaced, and will undergo some minor cosmetic touch-ups.
Students whose rooms have been affected are being allowed to enter the building to collect belongings if they are accompanied by a security escort.
The assessment of personal damages is still under way. Until students are able to move into their rooms again and survey their possessions, an accurate estimate is difficult to obtain.
Wharton freshman Bernard Gutmann observed only minor damage in his room.
"I will be getting new carpeting," he said. "There was some flooding in the room and my Xbox was damaged."
A few students noted that their personal belongings were intact but that they "smell of smoke."
Affected students met with Stouffer College House Dean Michelle Grab last night. The meeting was set up in order to debrief students and update them on the situation.
"They're troopers," Grab said, referring to the residents of the D section. "They are obviously anxious to get back to their rooms but are grateful it wasn't worse."
Both Bateman and Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush emphasized that every fire alarm should be taken seriously.
"There is no such thing as a false alarm," Rush said. "Alarms are coming in because they have been activated for a good reason."
However, earlier this year the college house was plagued by a number of alarms that forced evacuation, leading many residents to adopt a more casual attitude about them.
