Monday mornings are usually routine for residents in Glen Riddle Hall; however, on October 30, Neumann students and the Sisters of the residence woke up to a blaring sound of the fire alarm.
The fire caused smoke to fill the hallways and kitchen on the third floor of Glen Riddle, quickly spreading throughout the building.
Both students and the Sisters evacuated the building from roughly 7:50 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.
Shortly after everyone was evacuated, the fire department arrived to put out the fire and clear up the smoke on the third floor.
Lee Strofe, assistant director of Campus Safety, and Charles Campbell, Campus Safety systems manager, confirmed that the fire started due to someone heating up food in the microwave for so long that the plastic melted, causing the hallway to be filled with smoke.
At the time of the incident, Strofe and Campbell had not been able to identify who started the fire.
There was no major damage to the building.
According to Strofe and Campbell, either a student or nun had seen the smoke and pulled the fire alarm before the smoke could spread and trigger the smoke detectors to go off.
On Neumann’s campus, Glen Riddle, the Chiara house, Buoni, the Saint Elizabeth House, and the Mirenda Center are the only buildings whose smoke detectors automatically notify the fire department. Other buildings such as O’Neill, Flynn, and Cunningham required Campus Safety to arrive at the scene and determine whether or not it is necessary to call the fire department.
Many students were awakened by the fire alarm, with many feeling disgruntled about the situation.
One resident student stated, “Some people should really stay out of the kitchen if they can’t cook.”
Others were saying that they would be late to either class or work because of the fire alarm.
Campbell commented, “[To prevent fires,] we use the phrase ‘stand by your pan’ and don’t leave anything unattended. Turning your pot handles in on the stove and using higher quality oils will help prevent fires when cooking.”
