By Dylan Pichnarcik
News Editor
The Henry Whittemore Library was evacuated on Wednesday, Oct. 9 after an electrical fire, according to Dan Giard, director of facilities.
The Framingham State University Police Department (FSUPD) was the first to arrive on scene. The Framingham Fire Department (FFD) followed.
According to Giard, the fire was caused by an overheated electrical ballast in a light fixture on the lower mezzanine of the library.
Giard said throughout his tenure, he has not seen a ballast ignite.
The building was closed for approximately one hour, according to Millie Gonzalez, dean of the Henry Whittemore Library.
She said, “We were told to move away from the entrance of the building. Most of us congregated on the benches and near the trees.”
Notification from the University about the fire came via email from Meg Nowak Borrego, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, approximately 20 minutes after the incident.
The email said, “Unfortunately, there was a minor fire in the library today caused by a light fixture. Due to the need to clear smoke from the building, the library will remain closed for approximately the next hour. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
According to Giard, Facilities will be installing two new light fixtures. Giard added Facilities handled cleanup from the fire and worked to remove the smell of smoke from the building. “The smell has kind of gone away because we brought in 100% outside air and we’ve had it now for 24 hours.”
Most of the damage was sustained by the metal shelving, according to Gonzalez. “Thankfully, the metal shelving was exposed to the fire and not books. In a couple of days, after I get clearance from Facilities, I will be able to assess any smoke damage to the books. We will either replace the books or send them out to be cleaned,” she said.
Gonzalez added, “We will need to replace several metal shelves. But we were very lucky that the fire was contained immediately. The fire department, campus police, and Facilities did an amazing job. I truly appreciate our staff, faculty, students, and community members who were in the building during this occurrence.” Senior Gabriella Florio, a circulation desk attendant who was working at the time of the fire, said, “At around 12:20 p.m., the fire alarm went off and it was presumed someone had pulled it or the usual vaping in the bathroom. However, once everyone left, the fire department came and announced it was an electrical issue.” Florio added she was outside of the library for approximately 45 minutes. Brielle Milton, a freshman, was in a class at the time of the fire. She said, “We went outside. We had like 20 minutes left and she just let us leave.” Milton added, “It was kind of scary because I was dozing off a little bit and it smelled kind of rubbery so I knew it was a real fire.” Junior Sasha Basova, an ITS student technician, said, “I was working at the information desk when the fire alarm went off. Then in seconds, I saw a fire.” She added, “I left the building almost immediately without any obstacles. … I felt safe upon return. It didn’t seem like a serious fire, and actions were taken immediately.” Marina Botte, a junior, was attending class when “the fire alarm went off and startled us. It was about 12:00 p.m. The professor said, ‘Well I guess you guys have to leave. We’ll continue tomorrow.’ I was walking with my classmates and trying to cover my ears since I hate loud noises.” She added, “When I got to the first floor, I could smell a bit of something burning and was a little nervous.”