TWO YEARS almost to the day UPEI has suffered another near disaster. In 1985 it was a leaking propane ruck, and this year a fire in he service tunnels.

The fire began on Friday at approximately 2:00. — It

was caused when a welder’s torch set off flammable in- sulation on pipes being in- stalled in a service tunnel directly behind Dalton Hall. The burning imsulation ig- nited other materials in the tunnel, emitting a very thick black smoke.

DALTON HALL COOKS

Because of an entrance to the tunnels in the base- ment of Dalton Hall, the building quickly filled with the smoke. Most people in the building managed to leave before the smoke be- came too thick but about 10 people had to get out via fire escapes.

“We smelled the smoke but thought it was coming from the kitchens”, said one student.

Fire trucks from began arriving on campus shortly after an alarm was pulled. Once people were helped dowr from the escapes and it was determined that no one Hemaihed in the building, fire

fighting efforts began.

It took approximately one hour to extinguish the fire. According to Don Coles, Physical Plant man- ager for the university, a 34 foot section of the service tunnel was damaged, knock- ing out electricity, phone, and walkway lights.

“It didn’t burn fast,” said Coles, “but the heat was intense.”

TOXIC SMOKE

The biggest prob- lem, though, was the smoke. The service tunnels link all buildings on campus except the gymnasium, the Barn, and Blanchard Hall. Smoke leaked through the tunnel system into all other cam- pus buildings and by 3:30 all buildings connected, except AVC, were evacuated.

Marian and Bernardine and occupants were told to go to the Barn until it could be es- tablished that the air qual- ity was safe,

residences were closed

However, this was not until smoke had been seeping into these buildings for some time.

According to the Queen»

Elizabeth Hospital 14 peo- ple came in between Fri- day and Saturday with com- plaints resulting from the smoke. However, there were no serious injuries and all were treated and released. An with the Provincial department of Health was on the scene to certify the air quality of the buildings. He recommended that buildings be closed until

inspector

the smoke had time to dissi- pate.

There were fears. that the burning insulation that caused the smoke was urea formaldehyde, a that caused controversy a few years ago when it was discovered to be carcino- genic. However, the foam in- sulation turned out to be an-

substance

other, non- carcinogenic in- sulation.

A source from the health department stated that there are no long-term about the smoke.

THE DAMAGE

The section of the service tunnel damaged by the blaze contained electrical connec- tions that powered the en- tire eastern side of the cam- pus. Don Coles of the Physi- cal Plant said that there was also phone lines, heating con-

worries

trol lines, fire alarm, campus walkway lighting and CIMN radio connections. All were destroyed but work crews from Maritime electric and Island Tel began work in the tunnels almost immediately after the fire to splice power

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