PRESS RELEASE – April 4, 2018
The Keene Fire Department was dispatched at 2206 hours to Pondside 1 Dormitory at Keene State College for an automatic fire alarm.
Keene Car 3 and Engine 2 arrived on-scene at 2211 hours and received a report of smoke in one of the dorm rooms. A 1st alarm was sounded at 2212 hours. The engine crew investigated and found that there had been a small fire in the dorm room that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.
Additional fire department units (C1, C2, Tanker 1, Ladder 1 and Ambulance 1) arrived on scene shortly after. The additional arriving crews were assigned to search the building, assist with shutting down the sprinkler system, ventilate smoke from the building and evacuate water from the building. The fire was called under control at 2220 hours.
Additional crews from Swanzey, Marlborough, and Spofford were assigned to cover the Keene stations during the incident.
Pondside 1 is a 3-story 57 unit dormitory that houses 100 students and staff. There was no one in the dorm room at the time of the fire.
The Keene Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause and origin of this fire. Fire damage is estimated at $10,000 dollars.
For further information contact:
Jeffrey Chickering
Deputy Fire Chief
City of Keene Fire Department