Parkland College
Fall 2003

Ten Years Ago .....

Fire

Monday, October 25, 1993 ..... It began like many other fall days.  Week-end football games were over.  (In a stunning upset, the Fighting Illini beat the Michigan Wolverines, 24-21, the Illini's first win in Ann Arbor since 1966.  And not so stunningly, the Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 19-12.)  Parkland students, faculty, and staff returned to campus to continue the last half of the semester.

By mid-morning on this typical fall day staff and students in the Library were reporting a "burning smell."  Nancy Bode, Library Technical Assistant, recalls the odor that morning resembling the smell of wood cut by a circular saw.  The College's Public Safety officers checked the College Center and the Library many times but were unable to find a source for the smell or see any smoke.  Public Safety Sergeant Bonita Burgess comments that many outdoor smells (burning leaves, natural gas, fresh-cut grass) are easily absorbed into the College's ventilation system.  Without any other evidence, it was believed that this was a normal odor as a result of construction and renovations to create the Educational Video Center, located on the College's first floor below the Library.

By late afternoon, the persistent smell was accompanied by a haze throughout the Library and the College Center.  Evening librarian Julia Hough (now the Natural Sciences Testing Center Coordinator) remembers the haze as she entered the Library before 5:00 p.m.  It was clear something was definitely amiss, and Public Safety sounded the fire alarm at 5:32 p.m.  As the evening Library supervisor, Julia initiated emergency procedures and the Library was evacuated.

In the meantime, Public Safety Officer Jim Hand recalls he had left the College for his dinner break when he was called back on campus.  As that evening's shift supervisor he worked with the other members of the Public Safety department to make sure emergency procedures were implemented.  Off-duty officers were called in to provide security and to close down the campus.

Jim says it was "fortuitous" that a member of the Urbana Fire Department was taking a math class that evening.  This firefighter immediately lent assistance and helped in evacuating students and staff who had not yet left the building.  He and Jim were able to direct the Champaign Fire Department to the area where the fire was.  The off-duty firefighter then joined his fire crew when they arrived.  Three dozen Champaign and Urbana firefighters with eight fire engines and trucks worked to extinguish the blaze.

Jim remembers that flames were visible through the roof when the Champaign Fire Department arrived.  The fire-fighting equipment was able to pull up into the area now occupied by the D-wing to attack the fire.  Julia recalls the firefighters came inside the Library and made sure all the people had left.  She remembers watching the flames in the dark sky from the parking lot and feeling reassured that the "professionals" had made sure no one was left inside.

The fire was contained within walls located near the second floor reading lounge in the Library and the third floor "Z" book collection.  In order to fight the blaze, firefighters had to break through the drywall in the Library.  The firefighters attempted to minimize water-damage to books on shelves attached to the walls by first removing them, and it is because of this that the Library suffered very little damage to its materials.   

President of Parkland College, Dr. Zelema Harris, recalls that she was first notified of the fire when returning from a business trip to Chicago.  She came immediately to campus and remained until she was certain that the fire was under control.  "I was relieved to know that individuals had not been hurt."  Dr. Harris was greatly concerned as to the extent of damage to the Library.  She says this incident "reminds us of our vulnerability and what we take for granted."

By 9 p.m., firefighters were finishing pouring water on the fire, and by 9:30 p.m. they were returning to their stations.  It was determined that a dislodged grounding clamp on an electric arc welder produced enough heat to ignite insulation inside an exterior wall.  Initial estimates of the damage to Parkland College were $200,000 to $250,000.

Classes resumed the next day with the Library closed primarily to prevent access to the fire area.  The Library staff spent much of the day picking up the books that had been dislodged to fight the fire.  Some books were damp and propped up to dry.  Only a couple books were too wet to save.  Furniture was relocated.  While it was several weeks before the torn walls were repaired, Parkland Library was once again open for business Wednesday morning ..... with just a bit of residual smokey smell in the air.

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