Fire in Walker Building Forces Evacuation| 6-13-2012

 

A fire at a building on the campus of ULM forced dozens of people out of the George Walker building on Tuesday morning. The blaze began just after 10 o’clock and smoke billowed out of the entrances on the ground floor.

Emergency Crews Called to Walker Hall

The flames created some scary moments for people who had to evacuate. Thick black smoke choked the halls of the George Walker building this morning when flames scorched a room on the first floor.

Eugenie Goodwin was working when the fire broke out. She says it took her a moment to recognize that it was a real emergency. 

“We were sitting in our offices and the fire alarm kept going ‘beep, beep, beep,’ and so we weren’t sure if it was a test or what. So we all went outside and the lady across the hall noticed smoke coming out of her air conditioner vent. And then a gentleman came up on the second floor and told us that we needed to evacuate the building, that is was a real fire.”

 

Goodwin says there were some tense moments.

 

“Kind of nervous, I guess. Anxiety – you know, what should I grab and that kind of stuff.”

 

ULM’s executive vice president Stephen Richters says there were no injuries.

 

“Everybody’s out, everybody’s safe. People had a little dust on their shoulders but everybody’s safe.”

 

Richters says the Walker building is a major campus hub.

 

“It’s got the college of Arts and Sciences mostly – the English department, the mathematics department. Also there’s the Registrar’s office, Financial Aid office, the computing center.”

 

The fire department put out the blaze, which began in a utility room. The source of the fire has been traced to a piece of electrical equipment. ULM Police Chief Larry Ellerman says it’s too soon to tell why the break down happened.

 

“You can only guess about the cause of the motor malfunction, or whatever the malfunction was. Whatever it was, it was enough to start a fire.”

 

Summer school classes in the Walker building were cancelled for the day.