There was a fire on the Monmouth College campus Thursday at the Stockdale Center.
Firefighters responded just before 2 in the afternoon, and the incident commander observed smoke coming from all floors in the southwest corner of the building immediately. He requested a second alarm calling in off-duty Monmouth Firefighters and an ambulance.
Firefighters were met with extreme heat and zero visibility in the Stockdale Center.
Due to the difficulty with the initial route to the fire, the firefighters located alternate access providing a better position to extinguish the fire.
There were no reported injuries and the firefighters were able to confine the fire to the area of the building where it started which sustained heavy damage. The rest of the building was not damaged by the fire but did have minor smoke damage.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Monmouth Fire Department and appears to be unintentional.
Monmouth Police said the fire was contained and was still ventilating as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
A message from President Clarence Wyatt to the campus community Thursday said they hoped to get the building back online soon but Stockdale Center would be closed until further notice.
Wyatt says it will take some time to clean the “smoke” and “water.”
Students were given instructions to look out for emails from the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Karen Ogorzalek.
Wyatt went on to thank the staff of Aramark, the food service contractor for Monmouth, as well as the Monmouth Fire Department and college staff for their quick action.
The Stockdale Center largely functions as a student union for Monmouth College campus and staff and is where dining services are located.
