Stuart GouldenA fire broke out on the University of York campus this afternoon and seven fire engines were called to the Chemistry Department on University Road after the alarm was raised at 12:45pm this afternoon. Precautions were taken as it was a toxic fire caused by tar from the roof dripping into a fume hood and filling the department with smoke.
The buildings were evacuated and hydraulic lifts were deployed by firefighters rigged with a thermal imaging camera to identify the hotspots within the roof and ventilation system. The building which is lined with asbestos, helped to contain the smoke and reduce the risk of a full fire breaking out.
Members of the public were moved back from the by police at the scene and near by buildings were evacuated, with around 400 people affected. Water was sprayed onto the roof, and firefighters battled the fire on the first floor. Firemen on the scene said that the fact there were no injuries was due to the action of the staff in evacuating the building.
Electricity and gas was secured, major risks contained, and although the fire has now been contained the fire service expect to remain on the scene for several hours. The fire was a challenge for the firefighters due to the potential problematic nature of a fire within a university chemistry department, but the university staff have been praised for passing on all necessary information to firefighters which enabled them to quickly deal with the fire and prevent it from spreading.
