Posted: Saturday, 26 June 2010 12:19PM

2 Injured in UC Berkeley Dorm Fire

BERKELEY, Calif. (KCBS) — Two people were hospitalized after a three alarm fire prompted the evacuation of a student dorm at UC Berkeley early Saturday morning.

Smoke alarms started to go off around 4:15 a.m. in Ehrman Hall, a dorm located near campus, in the 2600 block of Haste Street.

Police responded to the call at 5 a.m.

Berkeley Assistant Fire Chief Rod Foster said four floors were heavily smoke charged upon arrival.

More than 100 students were evacuated and two were hospitalized for minor smoke inhalation.

One foreign exchange student from Singapore, staying in the dorm, immediately ran for the staircase when she woke up and found the corridor completely filled with smoke.

The blaze is believed to have started from something discarded in the trash chute that ignited debris in the trash room in the building’s basement.

According to Foster, the building was evacuated and over 100 people were triaged, two of which were then transported to a nearby hospital.

Firefighters were called back to the scene an hour after wrapping up the initial call when investigators on the scene smelled more smoke.

UC Berkeley officials are working to get most of the students back into their rooms soon, though some rooms may not be habitable for a while.

Damage was limited to minor smoke issues on the top four floors of the eight-story dormitory or from firefighter-forced entry and some water damage in the lobby and basement.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

(ato)

Courtesy:

http://www.kcbs.com/bayareanews/2-Injured-in-UC-Berkeley-Dorm-Fire/7558390

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