The Metcalf Center for Science &’ Engineering at 590 Commonwealth Avenue was evacuated shortly after 4:30 p.m. Monday after a transformer explosion on the roof started a fire, Facilities Management reported.
An emergency alert was issued to students via text message, phone call and email saying that an evacuation was in effect until further notice due to an electrical fire.
BU spokesman Colin Riley, at the scene of the fire, said that there were no students on the roof and that no one inside the building at the time of the explosion was harmed.
At least 200 people, some of whom had been evacuated but many of whom had just stopped to watch the scene, were gathered outside the building. At least 12 emergency vehicles arrived to respond to the alarm and three fire trucks extended their ladders to the roof. Throughout the episode, three firefighters ascended the ladders to investigate the fire.
A facilities employee was reportedly on the roof at the time of the explosion, but was not injured. No other injuries were reported.
Despite the scene around them, most of the students gathered in front of the building seemed unconcerned &- some were even sunbathing.
The section of Commonwealth Avenue in front of Morse Auditorium was partially blocked off down to one lane of traffic while firefighters and Boston Police Department officers investigated the fire.
Some evacuated students said they did not hear an explosion, only the fire alarms resulting from it. Others said they were evacuated in the middle of class.
“I was right about to turn in my homework when the fire alarms went off,” said College of Engineering freshman Andrew Beckenbach.
“We came outside and smelled smoke,” said ENG freshman Karl Lynch.
The smell of smoke did indeed linger around the building, but no signs of the fire were visible from street level besides the emergency vehicles.
Eric Pinnick and Camilo Calderon, both ENG teaching fellows, said they heard the explosion while they were inside the building.
“Ijust heard a loud bang and then the power went out and came back on,” Pinnick said.
“The fire alarms went off 10 seconds after that andthen we left the building,” Calderon added.
The Metcalf Center at 590 Commonwealth Ave. was reopened shortly before 6:30 p.m. Monday, according to an emergency alert sent to students. A second alert sent at about 4:20 a.m. Tuesday said both sides of the building are now open and operational, though 712 Beacon St. is running on generator assistance as it undergoes further repairs.
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