Fire alarms triggered during late-night parties sent
local volunteer firefighters to the Davidson College campus over the weekend. At one, firefighters found (and later cleaned up) a 6-foot mountain of foam in a fraternity house.
Also below, the week’s fire call log.
Davidson firefighters were called to the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at 118 Patterson Court Circle just after midnight on Saturday, Oct. 31, to check on a fire alarm. When they arrived, partying students were evacuating the building. When they entered, firefighters found the main floor of the building covered in a 6-foot blanket of foam from a foam machine.
Water was running down the stairs into a basement, flowing through electrical fixtures. A smoke alarm in the basement sounded the fire call, according to a report of the incident.
Party-goers were told to remain outside until the building’s electricity could be turned off. Firefighters then used a fan and squeegees to remove foam and water from the floor. With the power off, campus officials were ordered to make hourly checks for fire until the alarm could be restored.
Also at the college, water apparently was responsible for a false alarm in the Connor Eating House at 110 Nelson Lane early Sunday morning, Nov. 1. Firefighters were called to the house around 12:46 a.m., and found a party in progress. The occupants had evacuated after an alarm sounded. Officials found “a large amount of water on the floor,” which may have gotten into the electrical system and triggered an alarm.
FIRE CALLS
THURSDAY, OCT. 29 10:29 a.m., 621 Soo Cow Lane – Firefighters were called for a report of smoke at a townhome under construction off South Main Street. On investigation, they determined it was dust.
THURSDAY, OCT. 29, 11:28 a.m., Warner Hall Eating House 116 Patterson Court Circle, Davidson College – cooking fire.
FRIDAY, OCT. 30, I-77 northbound, near mile 31 – Davidson firefighters assisted Mount Mourne Volunteer Fire Department with a fire in passenger vehicle.
SATURDAY, OCT. 31, 12:10 a.m., Kappa Sigma fraternity, 118 Patterson Court Circle, Davidson College – Firefighters responded to a fire alarm and found foam and water on the fraternity’s main floor. The water and foam were removed and electricity shut off. Fire watch ordered until electricity restored.
SATURDAY, OCT. 31, 5:58 p.m., 19218 Ruffner Drive, off Washam-Potts Road, Cornelius – fire alarm, canceled en route.
SUNDAY, NOV. 1, 12:46 a.m., Connor Eating House, 110 Nelson Lane, Davidson College – alarm system sounded due to malfunction. Cause may have been water on the floor during a party.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4, 6:14 a.m., 18610 Reflection Rock Court, River Run – CO2 detector sounded due to malfunction. Firefighters measured entire house with a gas detector but found nothing.
MEDICAL AND RESCUE CALLS, OCT. 28-NOV. 4
Following are the medical calls Davidson Fire Department responded to last week. The department says patient privacy laws prohibit public release of addresses or other details.
(Information unavailable this week.)
