Fire at University of York's chemistry department

9:40am Friday 3rd February 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Haydn Lewis, haydn.lewis@thepress.co.uk

The fire at the University of York. Pic by twitter user @leeredpath The fire at the University of York. Pic by twitter user @leeredpath

Updated: HUNDREDS of people were evacuated as firefighters tackled a major blaze at the University of York.

The alarm was raised at about 12.45pm yesterday when smoke was spotted coming from the roof of the chemistry department at Alcuin Way, which houses teaching laboratories.

Eleven fire crews and an aerial ladder platform were called to the scene and remained there for most of the afternoon as firefighters tackled the flames and investigated the cause of the fire.

The blaze is believed to have started in a cabinet or fume cupboard in the chemistry block. A university spokesman said the site’s safety procedures were put in place.

Firefighters opened up a large area of the roof as they tackled the flames.

Trevor Lund, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's fire investigation and press liaison officer, told The Press: "There was smoke issuing from the roof. On arrival the fire fighting appliances took action on the first floor dealing with a fire in the fume vent system."

He said the investigation was in the preliminary stages but said: "There are some quite challenging chemicals in the building and we are working to make sure that it is in a safe condition."

He praised staff at the university, saying they had isolated most of the major fire risks and given firefighters clear details on the building's lay out and the risks involved.

A University spokesman said emergency procedures had been activated and everyone was evacuated safely.

He said: “North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended very quickly and we would like to thank them for the excellent job they did in dealing with the incident. They were assisted by Chemistry staff and the University’s Health & Safety team.”

He said the loss of electricity affected 144 student bedrooms as well as the chemistry department and said alternative accommodation and food would be provided to any students still without power tonight.

He added: “Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing and the University is working to provide alternative teaching laboratories.”

Firefighters from York, Acomb, Huntington, Selby, Easingwold and Tadcaster were called to the scene.

Matt Davey, 18, a first-year chemistry student, said his lessons in the building this afternoon had all been cancelled.

He said: “We heard it might be something to do with the roof. There were second year chemistry students in there having lectures at the time.”

Video: Tom Herbert

Comments(35)

York_Arch_Stud says...
5:29pm Thu 2 Feb 12

I'm really glad me and my friend Kelly were in Seminars in King's Manor when this happened, she lives in Alcuin so it means she was safe

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Alpha Kenny Thing says...
5:51pm Thu 2 Feb 12

York_Arch_Stud wrote:
I'm really glad me and my friend Kelly were in Seminars in King's Manor when this happened, she lives in Alcuin so it means she was safe
Please tell me you are not a university student!

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keepitshut says...
6:01pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Exactly the type of incident that warrants a city centre fire station!

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keepitshut says...
6:01pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Exactly the type of incident that warrants a city centre fire station!

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Mark_Chemist says...
6:21pm Thu 2 Feb 12

The fire service arrived on site very quickly from the alarm being raised. Cannot see how they could have got here any quicker, especially from the city centre location, bearing in mind the traffic!

Good to see how well-handled the incident was by NYFRS and the Chemistry department.

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ouseswimmer says...
6:26pm Thu 2 Feb 12

The American system of fire engines spread around a city would have led to a far quicker response time. ONe engine in Fulford would have arrived 3-5 mins earlier.

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Mark_Chemist says...
6:37pm Thu 2 Feb 12

ouseswimmer wrote:
The American system of fire engines spread around a city would have led to a far quicker response time. ONe engine in Fulford would have arrived 3-5 mins earlier.
Can you imagine how much one in every area the size of Fulford would cost to maintain: extra station houses, etc!

Considering how few serious incidents are, it surely is not worth the expense of that. Larger incidents, a few minutes delay is probably not significant, as time has to be taken to assess the situation before action can be taken.

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Hollywood Star says...
6:42pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Can people on here, just for once, not criticise everything.
Please just be thankful that the fire engines arrived promptly, put out the fire and noone was injured. END OF !!!

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DavidRicardo72 says...
8:17pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Hollywood Star wrote:
Can people on here, just for once, not criticise everything.
Please just be thankful that the fire engines arrived promptly, put out the fire and noone was injured. END OF !!!
well said

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Jazzper says...
8:32pm Thu 2 Feb 12

DavidRicardo72 wrote:
Hollywood Star wrote:
Can people on here, just for once, not criticise everything.
Please just be thankful that the fire engines arrived promptly, put out the fire and noone was injured. END OF !!!
well said
I'll second that !!

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MaisieMol says...
9:25pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Alpha Kenny Thing wrote:
York_Arch_Stud wrote:
I'm really glad me and my friend Kelly were in Seminars in King's Manor when this happened, she lives in Alcuin so it means she was safe
Please tell me you are not a university student!
Alpha Kenny Thing you are clearly a troubled soul. Did you know that many exceptionally bright and creative people possess poor grammar and spelling skills. You're obviously not in that league. You're in the league of the irreversibly average, who boost their egos by hanging around the pages of a parochial press waiting for someone to slip up grammatically. It was, in this case, particularly unfair given that York Arch Stud was simply expressing relief at the safety of his (?) friend. Shayme on you.

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EveEngels says...
9:28pm Thu 2 Feb 12

aaaah, when i was there the Derwent bins were on fire. now THAT was dramatic...

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Dr_Parmo says...
9:46pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Wait til the drama department hears about this

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Dr_Parmo says...
9:50pm Thu 2 Feb 12

*clap clap* and Well Done! to the members of the Universities health and safety team and the chemistry staff for allowing all those dangerous chemicals to be kept in the same cabinet!

Health and safety at its finest!

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EveEngels says...
9:53pm Thu 2 Feb 12

well, this sort of thing would just never have occurred in the social sciences department!

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saxy12 says...
10:00pm Thu 2 Feb 12

How come the fire cheif (Nigel Hutchinson) and the fire authority for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service can justify (In forthcoming plans) ONLY 1 fire appliance to cover York City centre and surrounding areas!!! How ridiculous is it to move the second fire appliance along with the turn table ladder to Huntington, meaning Huntington Firestation will have 2 fire appliances and a turn table ladder!!! LEAVE YORK FIRE STATION AS IT IS!!! surely today proves it!!!!

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Back and Beyond says...
10:00pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Students will do anything to keep warm..

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Dr_Parmo says...
10:10pm Thu 2 Feb 12

saxy12 wrote:
How come the fire cheif (Nigel Hutchinson) and the fire authority for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service can justify (In forthcoming plans) ONLY 1 fire appliance to cover York City centre and surrounding areas!!! How ridiculous is it to move the second fire appliance along with the turn table ladder to Huntington, meaning Huntington Firestation will have 2 fire appliances and a turn table ladder!!! LEAVE YORK FIRE STATION AS IT IS!!! surely today proves it!!!!
YOU! LEAVE HUNTINGTON ALONE!

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Buzz Light-year says...
11:44pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Ah good the sea.

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weggers says...
11:58pm Thu 2 Feb 12

ouseswimmer wrote:
The American system of fire engines spread around a city would have led to a far quicker response time. ONe engine in Fulford would have arrived 3-5 mins earlier.
hi ouseswimmer, i think your comment is wrong.... the police station comes out of Fulford....and their response time is diabolical.. maybe with the fees that the uni charge they could maybe afford their own fire brigade, seen as so the uni is growing at such an extreme rate.

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saxy12 says...
7:52am Fri 3 Feb 12

Dr_Parmo wrote:
saxy12 wrote: How come the fire cheif (Nigel Hutchinson) and the fire authority for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service can justify (In forthcoming plans) ONLY 1 fire appliance to cover York City centre and surrounding areas!!! How ridiculous is it to move the second fire appliance along with the turn table ladder to Huntington, meaning Huntington Firestation will have 2 fire appliances and a turn table ladder!!! LEAVE YORK FIRE STATION AS IT IS!!! surely today proves it!!!!
YOU! LEAVE HUNTINGTON ALONE!
I live in Huntington and have no problem with it, I just think it makes more sense to have more fire engines in York city centre where the heritage is, than move Fire engines to the outskirts enhancing a longer response time to city centre emergencies.

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xtc says...
8:46am Fri 3 Feb 12

The fire service could do what the ambulance crews do and just park up in areas of the city,on shifts and therefore no need for new stations etc,fire probaly caused by student with no common sense i nearly run em down daily crossing heslington road and retreat entrance not looking!the future of our country ....god help us.

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Shouter says...
9:01am Fri 3 Feb 12

Thank goodness no-one was hurt, that's the main thing. However I must point out that Innovation Way was closed as well as Alcuin Way. If this fire had happened after the proposed road changes in Heslington (ie blocking off Field Lane near the roundabout and making all traffic use Innovation Way and the new road behind the church), there would have been NO road access between Badger Hill and Fulford/Heslington, except via the Hull Road, A64 or down School Lane. I think the council should now rethink their plans for the roads in Heslington and keep Field Lane OPEN throughout its length.

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MaisieMol says...
9:08am Fri 3 Feb 12

xtc wrote:
The fire service could do what the ambulance crews do and just park up in areas of the city,on shifts and therefore no need for new stations etc,fire probaly caused by student with no common sense i nearly run em down daily crossing heslington road and retreat entrance not looking!the future of our country ....god help us.
Ah, more student bashing from the bumpkins. You gotta love York.

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jmumof3 says...
9:23am Fri 3 Feb 12

It sounds like it was very well handled. There would be chemicals in there that could have reacted to the heat in quite a spectacular way. Thank goodness everyone is safe.

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sheps lad says...
2:29pm Fri 3 Feb 12

As someone who lives on the route between the existing fire station and the university there would seem to be a large amount of callouts each week. The new location would save a few minutes each time. Perhaps the uni could consider using their security people(with the proper training) as a standby crew.

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long distance depressive says...
2:45pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Presumably somebody failed their practical then!!

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topumpire1 says...
3:23pm Fri 3 Feb 12

reminds me of the "St Trinians" school chemistry classes, someone learnig how to make firebombs?
Refereing to xtc, 1) there are many more ambulances & 2) they receive far more calls, so no it would not work! There are some days, when FRS may get no real calls, whilst Ambulances usually at least get calls to assist GPs transfer patients to hospital.

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ReginaldBiscuit says...
3:39pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Davygate's Sweaty Bettys is Yorks apple store for the mentally inert.

Discuss.

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Mark_Chemist says...
4:09pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Dr_Parmo wrote:
*clap clap* and Well Done! to the members of the Universities health and safety team and the chemistry staff for allowing all those dangerous chemicals to be kept in the same cabinet!

Health and safety at its finest!
Hmmm, well, fume cupboards don't usually store chemicals- they are there for point of use or dispensing.

Bulk stores are not kept in the labs, with only ready-to-use reagents out. Otherwise, all chemicals are stored correctly, in accordance to guidance and legistlation.

Perhaps you need to visit a lab at some point to find that out?

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Omega Point says...
4:38pm Fri 3 Feb 12

xtc wrote:
The fire service could do what the ambulance crews do and just park up in areas of the city,on shifts and therefore no need for new stations etc,fire probaly caused by student with no common sense i nearly run em down daily crossing heslington road and retreat entrance not looking!the future of our country ....god help us.
Did you type this on a mobile phone wearing a boxing glove?
Before knocking other people take a look in the mirror

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labtechz says...
6:26pm Fri 3 Feb 12

This item does not seem to have been very well reported - did the reporter not manage to speak to a single chemistry student or member of faculty ? That the fire started in a cupboard in the Chemistry dept. seems to be sheer speculation.
The poster that criticised the uni. for keeping dangerous chemicals "in the same place" obviously knows little about chemical storage. It is the most sensible thing to keep hazardous chemicals locked in a secure store, it just isn't possible to give every bottle/container its own separate store room, and it is usual for a strict storage regime to be in place so that the effect of an accident is minimised. The only thing we know for sure about this fire is that smoke was seen coming from the roof. W don't have any reliable evidence of the cause, or even that it started in the chemistry dept. Perhaps The Press would like o investigate further ?

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OwenC says...
7:07pm Fri 3 Feb 12

MaisieMol wrote:
Alpha Kenny Thing wrote:
York_Arch_Stud wrote:
I'm really glad me and my friend Kelly were in Seminars in King's Manor when this happened, she lives in Alcuin so it means she was safe
Please tell me you are not a university student!
Alpha Kenny Thing you are clearly a troubled soul. Did you know that many exceptionally bright and creative people possess poor grammar and spelling skills. You're obviously not in that league. You're in the league of the irreversibly average, who boost their egos by hanging around the pages of a parochial press waiting for someone to slip up grammatically. It was, in this case, particularly unfair given that York Arch Stud was simply expressing relief at the safety of his (?) friend. Shayme on you.
LOL! Bullseye!

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Dr E.R.Maert says...
9:15pm Fri 3 Feb 12

i believe what my colleague, Dr Parmo, was trying to imply was that the chemicals were not stored correctly, as according to H&S standards. the article states that it is 'believed' to have been started in a 'cabinet' or 'fume cupboard' as if the author has only been made vaguely aware of what exactly a 'fume cupboard' is and has associated the word 'fume' with 'fire' and decided that is the most plausible and likely explanation!

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dicko 818181 says...
12:42am Sat 4 Feb 12

This seems to of been a fire which could of had some very nasty outcomes had it not been dealt with very quickly by both the fire service and university staff, so well done and keep up the good work!!!!

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