The Boston University School of Law building at 765 Commonwealth Ave. was evacuated Monday afternoon because of a small fire from an electrical unit in the basement. No one was injured.
Approximately 60 firefighters from Boston Fire Department and the Brookline Fire Department responded to the scene around 1:30 p.m., while officers from the BU Police Department and the Boston Police Department blocked nearby roads and managed traffic, said Steve MacDonald, a spokesperson for the BFD.
“The fire was confined to that room, but the problem is that it generated smoke,” MacDonald said.
Firefighters worked with the utility company, Eversource, to shut the electricity off in a safe manner. In a process called “de-energizing,” a special extinguishing agent was used on the electrical wires in order to disconnect them to put out the fire, MacDonald added.
BFD turned the building back to BU authorities, who worked with the electrical company to restart the electricity and re-open the building at 3:30 p.m.
Classes and activities in the building resumed later in the evening, though some areas remained temporarily closed for air quality assessment and further inspections. University officials assured students and faculty that ventilation systems had been activated to clear the remaining smoke, and additional safety checks were being conducted to prevent similar incidents in the future. No major structural damage was reported, but minor repairs to electrical components in the basement were required before full functionality could be restored.
The incident also highlighted the importance of maintaining and upgrading older building infrastructures, particularly in high-traffic academic institutions. Experts suggested that basement remodeling could improve electrical safety, ventilation, and fire prevention measures in older buildings like BU’s law school. University representatives confirmed that long-term renovation plans were being considered to enhance fire safety and modernize electrical systems throughout campus facilities, ensuring a safer learning environment for students and faculty.
Alana Levene contributed to the reporting of this article.
