Microwave burns sandwich; forces Moody evacuation

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Microwave burns sandwich; forces Moody evacuation

By Regis L. Roberts

Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: News

Originally published: 11/20/08 at 9:31 AM CST
Last update: 12/9/08 at 10:00 AM CST

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Media Credit: Erica Reyna

The charred remnants of a sandwich that set off a fire alarm in Moody Wednesday.

Media Credit: Erica Reyna

Paralegal studies Lecturer Faye Bracey asks students to turn in their tests east of Moody after a fire alarm and smoke on the third floor forced an evacuation Wednesday. After lecturing her class a little longer, she made the next assignment and sent them on their way. All the while police kept students and faculty out of Moody.

Media Credit: Erica Reyna

Maintenance workers bring in fans to help clear the smoke on the third floor of Moody Wednesday evening. The smoke came from a sandwich that caught fire in a microwave, setting off the fire alarm.

A sandwich left in a microwave too long on the third floor of Moody Learning Center caused smoke to set off the building's alarm Wednesday, leading to the building's evacuation.

Housekeeping attendant José Gonzalez said the alarms went off at about 5:20 p.m., but others in the building said it went off at about 5:30 p.m.

Gary Parker, who tutors in the SLAC lab on the seventh floor, said he got a call from the third floor at about 5:30 p.m. asking if the alarms had gone off yet.

The alarms went off two minutes after he hung up, he said.

President Robert Zeigler said the alarms go off as the smoke reaches each floor.

Student development Lecturer Mary Ellen Burns said she was on the first floor heading up to her class when she heard the alarm at about 5:32 p.m. She said her class heard the alarm before she did.

Zeigler said a sandwich was put in the microwave and set for one minute. Librarian Ralph Domas, who was cooking the sanwich, was distracted by a student, and apparently the microwave did not go off after the minute, he said. He said he cannot remember what kind of sandwich is was.

Luckily the evacuation went off smoothly, he said.

"No injuries, no damage; except to the sandwich," Zeigler said. The only inconvenience was that the building "just stinks a little bit," he said.

He said campus police arrived within one minute.

Tim Rockey, dean of distance education and workforce development, came out at about 5:50 p.m. to inform the waiting crowd that they could re-enter the building once all of the smoke cleared and the alarms turned off.

About 6 p.m., people began returning to the building.

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