The Red and Black

Issue date: 3/20/07 Section: News

Media Credit: NATALIE GRACE ESTES Decator Dunagan, a food services maintenance employee, repairs a circuit near some burnt remnants of a fire the occurred outside the East Campus Dining Commons Monday.

The murmur of students socializing, the clank of silverware and the hum of smoothies blending was interrupted by fire alarms at East Campus Village Summit dining hall Monday.

Officials said the fire erupted at 12:30 p.m. after a cigarette was discarded on pine straw outside of the building.

Michael Floyd, director of food services, said although the fire did not enter the building, its proximity to the employee entrance near parking lot E09 was a concern.

"I think that it is very unfortunate that some individual was so haphazard in discarding his cigarette butt," Floyd said.

Police will be investigating the videotape in that area, he said.

Bryan Haymans, a chef at the Village Summit, said he saw the fire and pulled the fire alarm, alerting people in the building.

"There was never really very much danger," Haymans said. "It took about a minute to put it out and the building was evacuated within a-minute-and-a-half."

Two fire trucks arrived on the scene, and the fire was extinguished within 15 minutes.

The building was closed for 45 minutes, Floyd said, because a separate service had to reset the fire alarm.

A few strands of pine straw and a melted conduit cover were the only victims.

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