Western responds to Chemistry Building fire

Western’s Karen W. Morse Hall (Chemistry Building) is closed, pending assessment of the damages caused by a fire on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The fire, which occurred in a lab on the third floor of the Chemistry Building at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, led to an evacuation of the building. Sprinklers in the building put out the fire.

Firefighters from the Bellingham Fire Department and Whatcom County Fire District 8 responded to the fire and cleared the building of all occupants. As a precaution, the adjacent Biology Building also was evacuated as well but has since reopened.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. There were no injuries reported.

The university has hired emergency response contractor Belfor to assess the damage to the building, including any safety and environmental issues, water damage from the sprinkler system as well as monitoring of indoor and outdoor air quality.  Belfor workers arrived on campus on Wednesday.

The Chemistry Building will remain closed until that thorough assessment is completed. It is not yet known how long it will take to assess and repair fire and water damage, or how long the building will be closed.

Although the university is in intersession between summer and fall quarters, a number of faculty and students use the Chemistry Building to work on a variety of research projects.  In the meantime, the university is identifying temporary space to house those Western faculty members and student workers displaced by the fire.

Counseling services are available to students and staff affected by the fire. For students, the Counseling Center is located in Old Main 540 and can be reached at 360-650-3164 during business hours. For faculty or staff, they may access the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 877-313-4455.