Fire breaks out Wednesday night in Doherty Hall
Update: It has been reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Pittsburgh city fire fighters found no fire in Doherty Hall. Deputy City Fire Chief Jerry Hirschfeld reported that the exhaust system in Doherty began circulating sawdust through the building.
A fire broke out in the lower levels of Doherty Hall around 9 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Fire engines and police cars were seen at the service road near the base of Doherty Hall and on Frew Street near Baker Hall.
Nick Chisholm, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student, said, "I was in the building and we smelled smoke," adding that he noticed a strange smell when he was grading papers in the upstairs portion of the building.
Daniel Campos Zamora, a sophomore art and psychology double major, saw smoke coming from the dust collection system of a CNC milling machine, which automates the milling of metal materials, on the C level of Doherty.
"There was the smell of something burning for a while, and we asked if we should pull the alarm," Zamora said. He contacted campus security and was advised to sound the fire alarm.
According to Matt Finlay, a creative writing junior, the fire interrupted a Carnival Committee meeting.
The university has not yet commented on the incident.