A fire broke out in the kitchen on the fifth-floor Stouffer College House yesterday just after 7 a.m. when food was left unattended in a kitchen.
Though no one was hurt, about 21 residents have been relocated to the Sheraton University City Hotel. A total of 19 rooms were affected -- 17 by water damage and two by smoke.
The Stouffer sprinkler system -- which was installed five months ago -- was the main reason that injuries did not occur, University officials said.
"Trust me, if the right components weren't in place -- it sends shivers down our spines," said Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush.
The Wawa convenience store, which is located under Stouffer on 38th and Spruce streets, was shut down during the day due to minor water damage. Triangle Diner also had to be evacuated.
Nursing freshman Lauren Schleicher, whose room was close to the kitchen in which the fire broke out, said she could barely see from all the smoke.
Engineering sophomore Chun Lai, whose room is two doors away from the kitchen where the fire occurred, said he was confused when he heard the alarm.
"I could either run through the smoke or wait to be rescued," he said. "After I heard someone else open their door, I ran out with them."
Students were forced to wait outside for almost two hours.
Rush said that the Division of Public Safety received quick support and coordination from the College House System and Facilities and Real Estate Services, among others.
"Today was a great example that all the practice does make perfect," Rush said, referencing the practice fire drills conducted at all college houses throughout the year.
However, many Stouffer residents were not sure whether the fire alarm was real. In the past few months, residents have been plagued with frequent false alarms, which have desensitized many to the gravity of the alarms.
"There are fire alarms at Stouffer a lot -- you wonder, 'Is it for real or not?'" Schleicher said. "But everyone smelled the smoke, so they all went outside."
Both Ted Bateman, the director of Fire and Emergency Services, and Rush stressed the need for students to follow instructions and evacuate immediately when they hear alarms.
"It's inconvenient, and people think, 'Why should I get out of bed?'" Rush said, but "if students had that feeling [this morning], we could have had many deaths."
She added that the University plans to explore additional fire safety education for students.
All college houses have sprinkler systems installed, and Sansom Place East and West will have them within the next two summers.
The last major fire incident happened in 1999 during Spring Fling when a computer overheated and exploded in Hamilton College House.
