Purdue News

February 24, 1998

Vent fire disrupts Stripe Shop service

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A minor cooking-vent fire in the Purdue Memorial Union's Stripe Shop pizzeria prompted a brief, precautionary evacuation of the ground floor of the building late this morning (Tuesday, 2/24).

Thomas Cooper, Purdue fire safety specialist, said residual debris in the vent apparently ignited. The vent was connected to a pizza/bread stick oven. The fire quickly burned itself out, and damage was confined to the vent and a nearby decorative plastic ceiling piece. Cooper said fire department personnel ran a water line to the ground-floor facility as a further precaution, but the line did not need to be activated.

Police and fire department units responded to the call about 11:25 a.m. Cooper said the ground floor was evacuated for about 15 minutes as fire personnel inspected the Stripe Shop's vent and ceiling area. The facility was expected to reopen this afternoon.

Source: Thomas Cooper, (765) 494-1432
Writer: Greg Zawisza, (765) 494-2086; e-mail, greg_zawisza@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

To the Purdue News and Photos Page