Students evacuate Few Quad late Sunday night due to laundry room fire

A fire in the Few Quad FF first floor laundry/vending room Sunday night resulted in an evacuation of all Few residents and damage to drying machines. 

According to messages in the Few Quad GroupMe chat with 291 members, the alarm began to sound at 11:58 p.m.

“I was walking past the laundry room and there was smoke coming out, so I rang the alarm,” junior Faith Joo wrote in the GroupMe. 

No one was injured or displaced from their bedrooms, according to Dean for Residence Life Debbie Lo Biondo.

“Students exited the building when the general alarm sounded and waited patiently outdoors until given the all-clear by Durham Fire Department personnel,” Lo Biondo wrote. Facilities Management, Housing & Residence Life and Duke University Police Department personnel were also on the scene.

Few residents received the “all clear” at 12:36 a.m. Monday morning, 38 minutes after the initial alarm. At this point, Few residents were able to re-enter their dorms. 

“The dryer in question is damaged beyond repair, and the dryer above may also be damaged,” Lo Biondo wrote. She added that while the cause of the fire is being investigated by [the Fire Safety division of the Occupational and Environment Safety Office, there is “no indication of foul play.”

Junior Gabrielle Butler, the resident assistant on-call, sent a message in the GroupMe later that night telling residents to contact their resident assistant if they needed to retrieve laundry from the Few FF laundry room, which will be closed until further notice.

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