Ottensman Hall was evacuated during the evening of March 26 after a fire in the building set off an alarm. Police speculate the fire was started by someone in the building.

Shortly after 8 p.m. the fire alarms in Ottensman Hall began to sound. Janet Frederick and Rich Bell, both custodians in the building at the time the alarms sounded, said that when the alarm sounds it immediately sends a transmission to the campus police alerting them of the fire.

Photograph by Anthony Bauer

Campus Police Officer Molly Thelemann was the first on the scene. Thelemann said she entered the building, located the fire and used a fire extinguisher to put it out. The fire was on a bulletin board on the first floor between the offices of faculty members Kristina Fields and Keith Thompson.

Thelemann said the Platteville Fire Department was also called and responded because of the hazardous materials located in the building. On Jan. 26, a gas leak on the second floor of Ottensman Hall led to evacuation of the building and cancellation of classes for an hour because of the same concerns.

Damage to the building was minimal. The bulletin board itself was burnt, and residue from the fire and extinguisher had to be cleaned off of the floor. Neither Thelemann nor the custodial staff believed the fire could have been started naturally.

“I am guessing someone started it,” Thelemann said. The custodial staff said they saw no one suspicious leaving the building. Campus Police will release a full report on the incident in the next few days, Thelemann said.