An electrical fire broke out Wednesday night in an Alumni Square apartment due to faulty insulation of a lamp’s electrical cord. The Department of Public Safety cleared the surrounding stairwell of apartments, but the fire caused minimal damage to the apartment.

No one was injured in the fire.

According to Lauren Mehler-Clark (SFS ’03), the fire began when an Eiffel Tower-replica lamp was plugged in and began to smoke, and catch fire. Mehler-Clark said that she called the Department of Public Safety, who called the Metropolitan Fire Department.

One of Mehler-Clark’s roommates used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire before DPS and MFD arrived on the scene. Four FD trucks eventually came to the scene.

The fire caused minimal damage to the apartment, leaving smoky conditions. However, use of the fire extinguisher left a layer of white film over the entire apartment.

Mehler-Clark said that MFD investigators inspected the apartment’s wiring and said there were no problems. She said the wiring of the lamp had caused the fire.

Laura Wilkicki (MSB ’03), the apartment assistant for the stairwell, said she was in bed when she and her roommates heard the smoke detector from the apartment across the hall. Wilkicki said the fire alarm did not go off, but that DPS officers were evacuating the stairwell.

According to Wilkicki, smoke was pouring from the apartment, but everyone was removed from their apartments “as soon as possible.”