Smoke begins to clear from Wallace Hall fire

By Joe Kleinsasser

How much damage resulted from the Wallace Hall fire Wednesday evening, Feb. 23, is still being determined. It’s generally agreed that it could have been much worse. No injuries were reported.

The fire, which has been ruled an accident, occurred in a small room or walkway between a mechanical engineering materials lab and an aerospace engineering computer lab.

Fire officials believe a student project involving hydraulic oil and titanium was the cause of the accident.

Quick reporting of the fire helped limit the damage.

Early damage estimates for cleanup were $50,000 to $75,000. That number could rise depending on how much equipment needs to be replaced.

The small room between the two labs suffered extensive damage. The affected labs were being cleaned due to the smoke and soot.

No classes had to be canceled. The two labs were temporarily closed for cleanup.