Storm sparks power outage, smoke alarms

By Dave Stephens
Assistant Campus Editor

Purdue students sitting in class Thursday afternoon might have noticed the lights dim, or even go all the way out.

No the students were not falling asleep, the power had gone out.

The power went out across most of Purdue's campus Thursday afternoon, after lighting hit an electric company substation at 4:06 p.m.

"After they got hit, it apparently knocked our generator at the Wade Utility Plant offline," said Joe Mikesell, director of utilities. "I don't know why that happened, it's not suppose to."

Mikesell said power was lost on most of campus, except to those buildings connected to the northwest substation power circuit, about 15 percent of campus.

"Nearly everyone's power was out until about 4:20 (p.m.)," said Mikesell. "And we had to dispatch people to some buildings to turn the power on manually."

Mikesell said the storm was one of those events that just happen from time to time.

"It was just one of those normal summer storms," said Mikesell.

Although it might have been a normal summer storm, it created anything but a normal day for the Purdue Fire Department.

"We had five active alarms during the storm," said Jim Heisel, assistant fire chief for the Purdue Fire Department, "and numerous other alarms due to the power loss."

Heisel said lightning strikes caused alarm system problems in Wetherill, Fowler Hall, the Purdue Student Health Center and the Liberal Arts and Education Building.

"We had a report of smoke in the basement and second floor of the Union due to lost ventilation of the stoves in the food courts," said Heisel.

Heisel said they also had calls from five or six buildings where people were stranded inside when power was lost.

"We responded to some, elevator services responded to some, it's a normal problem when the power goes out," said Heisel.

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

Assistant campus editors: Kurt Esposito, Dave Stephens

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