The Student News Site of San Francisco State University

Golden Gate Xpress

The Student News Site of San Francisco State University

Golden Gate Xpress

The Student News Site of San Francisco State University

Golden Gate Xpress

UPDATE: Village Building C evacuated after fire alarm

A small fire on the third floor of Village C attracts a crowd of SF State students in front of Café Rosso as the barricade between Village C and Burk Hall is being tapped off by San Francisco Fire Department Officials Feb. 8, 2013. Photo by Adrian Rodriguez / Xpress

A fire alarm was activated in Building C of the Centennial Village apartments at 10:37 this morning, according to SF State Spokeswoman Ellen Griffin.

The alarm was activated due to a fire on the third floor, according Daniel Perez, who lives in Building C.

“The alarm went off around 10:45,” he said. “They just started getting everyone out of the building.”

Paolo De Longi, an international student who also lives on the third floor, said that the room in question was empty at the time of the fire.

“All I know right now is that a desk went on fire and the person wasn’t home,” he said

The building was evacuated after the sprinkler system was engaged and The San Francisco Fire Department responded with three engines and two trucks. The pathway between Burk Hall and Cafe Rosso is currently blocked to pedestrian traffic.

The fire has been contained but campus official are waiting for a report from SFFD to let students back into the building.

“Because the sprinkler system was activated, there is water in the building,” Griffin said. “We’re waiting on an assessment of the damage to figure out if any students will have to be relocated.”

Update Feb. 15:

The cause of the fire was determined to be an un-extinguished candle left unattended by a resident of Building C, according to Linda Medina-Sam, spokeswoman for the Safety and Risk Office at SF State.

The damage caused by the fire is estimated to be more than $150,000 and 28 residents of Centennial Village Building C have been relocated to other housing units, Medina-Sam said in an email. The University is in talks with its insurers to determine if the student responsible for the fire will be held liable for the damages.

Clean up efforts are ongoing and are expected to continue through the first week of March.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Golden Gate Xpress Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activate Search
The Student News Site of San Francisco State University
UPDATE: Village Building C evacuated after fire alarm