Smoke Inside Social Sciences Building Causes Closure
- Nolan Locke
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
By Shaya Silberstein
On Saturday afternoon at around 2 p.m., the Social Sciences building was evacuated after a mechanical failure in an air-handling unit triggered fire alarms and produced smoke.
Students were quickly evacuated from inside the building as first responders arrived. “We were just in there doing our work, since our studio is up there,” says Anna Bonelli, a junior design tech major. “We started smelling smoke, and then it got a little hazy, and the fire alarm went off, and we came out here.”
“This probably started like 45 minutes ago,” says Eliam Artman, a theater and design tech sophomore. “There was a smell of smoke in the air, then the fire alarm went off. We heard one of the guys talk about a wheel barring [blocking] an air vent fan.”
When asked about reopening the building, Betsy Aldredge, the assistant director of public relations, said, “We don't have a timeline yet; the assessment is happening now. We are hoping to return to the building by Monday, but we urge the community to check their email for more information.”
Purchase College President Michael Steiper sent out a statement via email to the campus community stating, “Please be aware that earlier today, January 31, there was an incident in the Social Sciences building that created a smoke condition. First responders indicated that the immediate issue was resolved. We are currently waiting for the final word that it is safe to enter the building.”
On Sunday evening, Mike Kopas, the vice president for administration, put out a statement saying, “We have determined that the Social Sciences building can be opened tomorrow, Monday, February 2nd. The building will be monitored throughout the week in order to address the mechanical issue that caused yesterday's incident.”