A fire in Carmichael Hall forced the evacuation of students early Sunday morning. The fire, started in a trashcan in the first floor lounge, was extinguished by Medford firefighters and caused little damage and no injuries.
Carmichael proctor Timothy Hegan called Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) to report a fire in the main lounge just before 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. Seconds later, smoke detectors set off the fire alarm and automatically alerted the 911 center in Dowling Hall.
Hegan saw a flaming plastic trashcan that was burning upside down on a table in the lounge. According to TUPD Sergeant William McCarthy, the proctor did not report seeing anyone in the area when he made the call. "We were woken up at 5:30 a.m.... while we were running outside there was smoke all over the Carmichael lounge," sophomore Tauheed Zaman said.
The TUPD has no suspects, and the Tufts fire marshal will handle the investigation. The Medford Fire Department found a box of candles near the scene of the fire, according to McCarthy. "We have no idea who caused it," he said. "Someone had some candle lit and it ended up a trash barrel caught on fire."
Although students were interviewed by police, no one came forward with any useful information. The fire was limited to the trashcan, but the smoke filled the lounge. No dorm rooms were damaged and no one was injured. Residents reported smelling smoke throughout the building. "There was lots of smoke, but the fire wasn't that bad," McCarthy said. "People were pissed, but there were no problems."
Although some students said the fire department took a long time respond, McCarthy said that the response time was adequate. TUPD called the department after the alarm went off, and the station is located in Medford Square.
"Sometimes when you're outside waiting it seems like a while," he said. "From our perspective it was very quick. Five minutes or so is very reasonable."
