A hot pressure pipe burst in New South around 9:30 p.m. last night, forcing occupants to temporarily evacuate the building.

Initially, there was some confusion as to the reason for the alarm. Smoke billowed out of both a side staircase and the basement on the side of the building facing the Potomac River.

After four fire trucks and the Department of Public Safety arrived on the scene, engineers examined the burst pipe, which was located in the basement of the building.

“We have engineers down there right now, but we don’t know if it’s just a part or [if] it’s the whole thing,” DPS Assistant Director Morris Britt said on the scene.

Because the pipe was not immediately fixed, the building did not have hot water or heat for the evening. Residents were advised via e-mail from Lorenzo Caltagirone, residence life area coordinator, to conserve their heat by closing windows.

“Our maintenance staff is currently working to fix the pipe,” the e-mail said.

Fr. Christopher Steck, S.J., who lives on the fourth floor of New South, was in the building when the alarm went off.

“Some people would say that the smoke looks more like steam smoke,” he said. “I didn’t smell anything when I left with the fire alarm.”

A number of students did not respond immediately to the alarm, and their names were documented for possible write-ups.

“I was walking down the stairs with my roommate and someone started yelling at us to give them our GOCards,” Matt Kerchberger (COL ’10) said.

Any punishments for students that did not leave after hearing the fire alarm will be determined in the future.

“We document students who are delayed in exiting,” Caltagirone said. “It’s a proactive measure we take. The hall director will follow up with their students to see if there’s a code-of-conduct violation.”

A hot pressure pipe burst in New South around 9:30 p.m. last night, forcing occupants to temporarily evacuate the building.

Initially, there was some confusion as to the reason for the alarm. Smoke billowed out of both a side staircase and the basement on the side of the building facing the Potomac River.

After four fire trucks and the Department of Public Safety arrived on the scene, engineers examined the burst pipe, which was located in the basement of the building.

“We have engineers down there right now, but we don’t know if it’s just a part or [if] it’s the whole thing,” DPS Assistant Director Morris Britt said on the scene.

Because the pipe was not immediately fixed, the building did not have hot water or heat for the evening. Residents were advised via e-mail from Lorenzo Caltagirone, residence life area coordinator, to conserve their heat by closing windows.

“Our maintenance staff is currently working to fix the pipe,” the e-mail said.

Fr. Christopher Steck, S.J., who lives on the fourth floor of New South, was in the building when the alarm went off.

“Some people would say that the smoke looks more like steam smoke,” he said. “I didn’t smell anything when I left with the fire alarm.”

A number of students did not respond immediately to the alarm, and their names were documented for possible write-ups.

“I was walking down the stairs with my roommate and someone started yelling at us to give them our GOCards,” Matt Kerchberger (COL ’10) said.

Any punishments for students that did not leave after hearing the fire alarm will be determined in the future.

“We document students who are delayed in exiting,” Caltagirone said. “It’s a proactive measure we take. The hall director will follow up with their students to see if there’s a code-of-conduct violation.”