The activation of the smoke detector on the fourth floor of Moore was the first notification that Campus Police received of the fire. "The fire department was initially notified by the Amherst College Campus Police, who received the fire alarm from the smoke detector on the fourth floor of Moore Dormitory, just outside the elevator," said Environmental Health and Safety Manager Rick Mears.
Minutes after the smoke detector alerted Campus Police, two officers arrived at Moore and found smoke in the stairwell. "When the officers ... arrived, two minutes after fire alarm activation, they found a smoke condition in the stairwell and students leaving the building, who reported the same situation," said Mears. "As soon as they encountered the smoke and the students reporting the same, they [the officers] notified the Campus Police Dispatcher, who then contacted the Amherst Fire Department to report smoke in the building."
The Amherst Fire Department is dispatched upon notice of smoke in a building. "When the fire department receives a report of smoke or fire in the building, the situation is upgraded to a 'box alarm' which initiates the response of the entire fire department," said Mears. "[The department consists of] five fire engines, one ladder truck, three rescues, three ambulances and three chief officers."
The fire department arrived six minutes after the original alarm sounded, at which time the fire was extinguished. "When the first arriving fire engines arrived at about six minutes after the alarm sounded, [the two responding Campus Police officers] had already verified full evacuation of the floor and extinguished the fire using the pressurized water extinguishers on the fourth floor," said Mears.
Mears said that the fire, which started in the recycling room, was not serious. "The fire started in a gray Rubbermaid trash container in a recycling room (3D) on the fourth floor of Moore Dorm, West," he said. "The fire was not serious because it was behind a closed fire rated door, in a room specifically designed for the material within, and because the police officers were quick to respond and extinguish the fire."
The damage from the fire was minimal. "The gray Rubbermaid trash container was consumed in the fire," said Mears. "There was also a minor amount of water on the floor."
Moore fourth floor resident Timothy Cheng '07 lives next door to the recycling room where the fire started. "My room, which was next to the recycling room, had slight water damage from the fire fighters," he said.
Police investigated the possibility that the fire was caused by a lit cigarette that was thrown into the trash can. "I was questioned about whether I smoked, who I knew on the floor who smoked, and if I knew anyone who smoked Parliaments," said Cheng.
Daisuke O '06, another fourth floor resident, said that smoking is a problem on the floor. "This whole floor smokes like a chimney," he said. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner."
According to Mears, the cause of the fire has not been officially determined. "[The cause is] still under investigation, until information is retrieved from the occupants of the fourth floor," he said. "However, it was accidental."
The College follows fire safety precautions and is installing fire suppression systems in dorms, including Moore, which will receive its new system over the summer. "We follow all of the regulatory requirements, have well-engineered and maintained fire alarm systems, and have been installing as many fire suppression systems in our dorms as possible," said Mears.