A malfunctioning boiler caused black smoke to come from the roof of Tilton Hall yesterday afternoon.
Freshman Rachel O'Donnell saw the smoke while walking downhill from Tisch Library.
"I was coming out of the library and I noticed a lot of black smoke," she said. "It looked like it was coming from Bush."
Acting Lieutenant Sean Tierney of the Somerville Fire Department, who left Tilton around 4:15 p.m., said the problem involved the maintenance of the boiler.
"Too much oil was burned off, causing the smoke," he said.
The Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) also confirmed the smoke was coming from a faulty boiler.
The fire truck arrived at Tilton after a TUPD car and several Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) vehicles came to assist an ill student from Haskell Hall.
It was at this point that police and fire officials first saw the smoke rising from Tilton Hall's roof.
"Someone was sick, and when we got here we just noticed the smoke," Tierney said.
- by Marc Raifman
Edits: ABR
According to the the smoke resulted from a problem with the boiler, which was being looked at.
The pair noticed that firemen didn't seem very concerned about the smoke right away.
"[The firemen] were strolling around and taking their time," Hope said. "At first we thought they were going towards Latin Way, but then they turned around and went into Tilton."
Sophomore Christopher Hope and junior April Baskin watched the smoke coming out of Tilton.
"We saw a fire truck, and weren't sure what was going on," Baskin said.
