Hamlin Hall Fire Scare

A fire alarm alert from the 6th floor of South Hamlin Hall arrived at Oakland University Police Department early in the morning Aug. 22. The on-duty resident advisers called stating there was smoke in the area of a particular room. Three officers responded to the call.

As the officers arrived on scene, the fire alarm was still active and the residents were leaving the building. They made it to the 6th floor where they were able to smell burning in the air. When the door to the dorms was opened, the hallway was smokey. One of the officers got the housing keys from the on-duty housing staff. The other two officers went to attempt to locate where the smoke was coming from.

At that point, Auburn Hills Fire Department arrived on the scene. The two officers entered the room that was thought to be the source of the smoke, to find that there was nothing in the room burning. The officer that had acquired the keys went to check the 5th floor while AHFD checked the 7th floor.

The two officers still on the 6th floor continued checking all the rooms until they opened an unoccupied room filled with smoke. AHFD was on the scene and entered the room, putting out the fire. The source of the fire was a battery that had overheated and caught fire. Once the fire was extinguished, housing staff told OUPD that there was a resident in need of medical attention. They thought they might have inhaled smoke, and Auburn Hills Paramedics arrived on scene and began their assessment. The resident refused medical transport.

Residents were allowed back in after the smoke was aired out. The 6th floor residents were relocated for the night. The scene was then cleared.