20 December 2011

Fire on Science Road

| johnboy
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photo by smee

ACT Fire & Rescue on scene at a structure fire in a building at the Australian National University on Science Road, Acton.

Crews investigating the building to find the source of the smoke.

Building has heavy smoke logging.

People have been evacuated from the building as a precaution.

1:29pm Monday 19 December 2011

Building is the Birch Building on Science Road.

Fire believed to have started from two experiments in a fume cupboard.

ACT Fire & Rescue working to extinguish the fire.

ACT Ambulance Service intensive care paramedics on scene supporting operations with no patients treated at this stage.

1:45pm Monday 19 December 2011

Approx 120 people from the Birch Building have been evacuated. No other evacuations from the ANU at this stage.

Fire crews continuing to extinguish the fire.

ACT Ambulance Service intensive care paramedics have treated a 44-year-old female patient for smoke inhalation.

1:56pm Monday 19 December 2011

Fire has been extinguished in room of origin.

ACT Fire & Rescue continuing to extinguish fire spread in roof from fume cupboard.

ACT Ambulance Service treated a 44-year-old male not female as earlier stated.

2:28pm Monday 19 December 2011

Fire has been extinguished.

ACT Fire & Rescue searching for hot spots.

Fire started in a fume cupboard which stored commercial grade cleaning solvents.

Fire was contained to room of origin on the upper floor of three-storey building.

Crews carrying out ventilation and air monitoring operations.

Heavy smoke logging was recorded on top and lower floors.

2:57pm Monday 19 December 2011

ACT Fire & Rescue continuing to carry out ventilation operations in Birch Building at Research School of Chemistry.

Minor heat and smoke logging to three storey building with extensive damage to room of origin and roof space above.

Crews alerted following an Automatic Fire Alarm at 1.01pm then numerous Emergency Triple Zero (000) calls.

3:20pm Monday 19 December 2011

ACT Fire & Rescue continuing to carry out atmospheric monitoring and ventilation operations in building.

4:20pm Monday 19 December 2011

ACT Fire & Rescue are still on scene conducting atmospheric monitoring operations.

Investigation into the cause of the fire are still continuing. Initial assessments identified the cause of the fire to have started from a chemical experiment in a fume cupboard.

5:30pm Monday 19 December 2011

ACT Fire & Rescue have now departed the site where the fire took place and have handed the scene over to ANU security as final clean up operations have been concluded.

8:24pm Monday 19 Dec 2011

[Courtesy ESA]

As usual, if you’ve got photos send them in to images@the-riotact.com .

[Photo by smee]

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According to the email sent to all ANU staff, the clean-up started last night, which suggests it may not be too bad. When the 2005 explosion/fire happened, it was a week or so before they let anyone back into the building, and that was just a few tech staff with respirators on to retrieve everyone’s wallets and keys. It was another week or so before any clean up started. I still have a copy of piece of paper ComCare made me sign afterwards saying I didn’t know what was in the area where the explosion occurred and that it wasn’t my fault. They never did figure out exactly what it was that started the 05 fire.

planeguy said :

Hmmm. I think ANU’s risk management may need to improve in the chem lab – two fires in a few years….

My favorite was the explosion that resulted in blue smoke spewing out of the building. They evacuated us from the Refectory Bar so fast that we were allowed to take our drinks with us. I still have that glass…

Thoroughly Smashed8:47 pm 19 Dec 11

planeguy said :

Hmmm. I think ANU’s risk management may need to improve in the chem lab – two fires in a few years….

ANU Chemistry has been Making Science Fun™ for far longer than that. 😉

Hmmm. I think ANU’s risk management may need to improve in the chem lab – two fires in a few years….

We’ve been evacuated too (Fulton Muir Building).

pink little birdie2:23 pm 19 Dec 11

Police closed north road and Daley road. Evacuated all engineering buildings too

Bit of a worry if something you are doing under a fume hood gets away from you…

Looks like someone’s really screwed the pooch on this one.

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