Bernell DorroughA small fire broke out in McMillen Lab #414 on Tuesday after a routine chemical reaction unexpectedly ignited.
Fire departments from Clayton, University City, Richmond Heights, and Maplewood responded to the blaze soon after it began at around 2:42 p.m., according to a report filed with the Washington University Police Department. Calls to the fire departments were placed by the campus dispatch after the fire alarms in the building began to sound. Though the fire was confined to the one lab, everyone who was in the building was immediately evacuated.
According to WU Professor of Chemistry Scott Gilbertson, in whose laboratory the fire occurred, the flames were contained within a single fume hood. The precise cause of the fire remains unknown, and Gilbertson noted that the reasons may never be determined.
“It was a routine reaction that had been run a number of times,” said Gilbertson. “Nothing was done that didn’t follow good, prudent safety rules. It was an accident.”
In spite of the fire and the rapid evacuation from the building, there were no injuries reported to the authorities. The amount of damage to the lab has not been determined.
“We did our report, but we did not have a total on the damage,” said Don Strom, chief of the WU Police Department.
Fire Chief for the City of Clayton Mark Thorp arrived on the scene approximately 45 minutes after the fire began. He explained that the fire marshal would further investigate the causes and the effects of the fire. Additionally, Thorp said that though the full repercussions of the fire currently remain unspecified, other classrooms did undergo some smoke and water damage.
“The fire marshal is investigating the cause and the extent of the fire,” said Thorp. “We are investigating the chemicals that might have been involved at this time.”
Thorp said chemical monitoring equipment used by the fire department detected no significant hazards that could be attributed to chemicals which may have been released by the fire.
Though the fire was accidental and an uncommon incident, Gilbertson explained that the chemistry department has already acted to ensure the safety of WU students and faculty.
“We met with safety people to review and make sure this kind of thing does not happen again,” said Gilbertson.