A grease fire broke out in an apartment kitchen in Washington University’s Millbrook Building Two at about 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. The Millbrook Two residents who were in their apartments at the time immediately evacuated the building once the fire alarm sounded.
Millbrook Two, which is part of the Millbrook Square Apartments located in the northwest corner of the Danforth Campus, houses 51 students in a series of suites.
The Clayton Fire Department coordinated the fire response, which included emergency crews and vehicles from six surrounding municipalities. There were no injuries to any residents; however a Washington University police officer was slightly injured when he broke glass to get to fire-fighting apparatus.
The unit where the fire started suffered major fire damage while other apartments in the building suffered mostly smoke damage. The Washington University Nursery School is located in the lower level of the building and it sustained some water and smoke damage. The Nursery School will be closed today.
The Millbrook Two residents, mostly juniors and seniors, were placed in guest rooms for Saturday night in the Olin School’s Knight Center on campus; one resident was housed at the Cheshire Lodge several blocks from campus.
By Sunday evening, all corridors, carpets and apartments on levels 2 and 3 of Millbrook Two were cleaned and ready for occupancy. Facilities Planning and Management reports that all broken doors and locks have been replaced; the building’s fire alarm system is fully operational except for detectors in the burned unit; and ceiling tiles in the Nursery School are being replaced on Monday.
Apartments on level 1, the floor on which the fire started, will not be ready for occupancy until sometime today, or possibly Tuesday. The 15 residents of level 1 apartments are being housed at the Knight Center until then. It is unknown at this time when the resident of the unit where the fire started will be able to return to his apartment.
The Nursery School will open again at 9 a.m. Tuesday. For questions about the Nursery School, contact its director, Andrea J. Atkinson, at 314-961-8778 (home) or 314-504-8778 (cell).
WUSTL students or parents with any questions or concerns, should contact the Residential Life Center at 314-935-5050.