Despite the thick smoke that it caused over the intersection of 38th and Walnut streets early Thursday evening, a fire in the physical plant housed within Penn's Parking Garage 30, located at 119 S. 38th St., caused no injuries and minimal damage.
Ted Bateman -- Penn's director of Fire and Emergency Services -- said that the fire was reported at about 7 p.m. Within about 3 minutes, firefighters from the Philadelphia Fire Department's Engine 5 and Ladder 6 units -- housed at 43rd and Market streets -- were on the scene.
As they arrived, smoke billowed from a vent on the west side of the building and drifted into the intersection. Many passers-by stopped to watch the unfolding situation as they covered their faces with clothing to fend off the haze that engulfed them.
Penn Police were already on the scene as firemen arrived; officers quickly closed northbound 38th Street to allow fire equipment to move into position.
When firemen jumped down from their trucks, they were directed by police and Facilities are Real Estate Services personnel toward an entryway on the north side of the garage building on Sansom Street.
Upon entering, firefighters found the source of the smoke --module six of the chilling stations located inside the building -- and soon extinguished the blaze.
To provide the cold water necessary for Penn's air-conditioning systems, water is pumped into chillers and then piped to various buildings on campus.
Bateman said that it was soon determined that an overheated bearing inside one of the chiller motors sparked the fire, which fire personnel officially declared under control at 8:03 p.m.
Retail stores and parking facilities, located in the same building, were not damaged by the fire, nor was the adjacent Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. Bateman described damage within the physical plant building as "minimal."
-- Andrew Whitney
