Looks like last night’s fire went a little further than the second floor of Hall-Atwater.
It started in room 124 on the first floor, but traveled to upper floors through the wall – which is presumably why a third-floor window was shattered and had to be boarded up earlier today.
According to the Hartford Courant, the fire started at around 11:40 pm under a ventilation hood in room 124, a chemistry lab. The last person in the lab was a student working on research who left at around 9:30 pm and seems to have followed all the safety procedures in cleaning up, but the exact cause is unclear.
Luckily no chemical hazards were found, but there’s pretty significant fire and water damage to surrounding labs on the first floor.
According to Professor Stephen Devoto (via the Middletown Eye), at least six research labs were damaged or destroyed – it might be awhile before those rooms are reopened.
In the meantime, the professors, students, and lab technicians who work in the affected labs are scrambling to protect their ongoing research projects, many of which are delicate and might suffer from the power outage.
Video footage from Fox 61 News this morning, via the Courant:
[EDIT 8:15 pm]
P-Safe update: says electrical service has been restored to 66% of Hall-Atwater. Selected areas on the west side of the building will be available for limited use tomorrow, and classes originally scheduled for Hall-Atwater are being relocated. Shanklin will reopen tomorrow for full use.
Find out where your relocated classes will be held here.
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who’s lab is 124?
who’s lab is 124?
@5:39pm
Most likely, it means that 2/3 of the main distribution panels are back in service. When you’re restoring (or installing) electrical service, it’s much simpler to think in terms of how many circuits you have, rather than wattage, or square footage, or anything. From what I’ve seen at Wes, electrical panels are pretty well labeled, but if they weren’t, the electricians wouldn’t necessarily even know what they were restoring power to.
@5:39pm
Most likely, it means that 2/3 of the main distribution panels are back in service. When you’re restoring (or installing) electrical service, it’s much simpler to think in terms of how many circuits you have, rather than wattage, or square footage, or anything. From what I’ve seen at Wes, electrical panels are pretty well labeled, but if they weren’t, the electricians wouldn’t necessarily even know what they were restoring power to.
“Electrical service has been restored to 66% of Hall-Atwater.”
how’d they calculate 66% of the service? wattage? number of rooms? square feet? lights?
“Electrical service has been restored to 66% of Hall-Atwater.”
how’d they calculate 66% of the service? wattage? number of rooms? square feet? lights?
Actually, the first floor is one of the “upper” floors in HA. The building’s expert design gives it five floors: Basement, Ground, First, Second, and PH (equipment/access to Shanklin 3). Even though that smashed out window looks like it’s on the fourth floor, it’s really the “second.”
Actually, the first floor is one of the “upper” floors in HA. The building’s expert design gives it five floors: Basement, Ground, First, Second, and PH (equipment/access to Shanklin 3). Even though that smashed out window looks like it’s on the fourth floor, it’s really the “second.”