News

Officials look into UC fire cause

By Ray Hafner
Senior Staff Writer

A minor fire in the UC Wednesday night caused the building to be evacuated and has officials wondering how the blaze started.

"Weire still trying to uncover the cause of it," said Keith Kowalka, interim director of the University Center and Associated Facilities.

Early estimates from William Cuellar, the building manager, put the damage at $56,400, well below the Universityis fire insurance deductible, officials said.

Four fire trucks responded to the alarm, which first went off at 9:45 prompting the buildingis new sprinkler system to activate. The blaze began in a storage room for the second floor Houston Room, the UCis largest, and was quickly contained. Between 25-30 chairs being stored there were completely ruined, Kowalka said.

Lt. Rita Bazile, of UHPD, said that an investigation was ongoing.

Most of the damage was from water that leaked through a hole into the C Store and some that leaked into the San Antonio room. Cuellaris maintenance team worked through the night to repair most of the damage. 

Water also ruined the electrical systems for the UCis two passenger elevators. They will not be operational until Monday and the disruption caused some major reorganizing for at least one of Thursdayis events in the Houston room.

People from all over the country were expected to attend the opening celebration of the Justin Dart, Jr. Center for Students with Disabilities, many of them in wheelchairs.

Kowalka said attendees in wheelchairs would be directed to the freight elevator in the UC kitchen.
 

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