[Updated at 4:55 p.m.:
An oil fryer in Ackerman Union’s Panda Express set fire around 2:40 p.m. today and was quickly extinguished by employees, university police said.
Alumna Sally Sladics was eating a few tables away when a wall of flame shot up in the restaurant’s kitchen. The flames did not go beyond the contained surface of the stove, she said.
“We looked up and thought, ‘Oh look, there’s a fire,” Sladics said with a laugh.
A pair of employees ran into the kitchen to shut off the gas and stop the fire, Sladics said.
There were no injuries, and the only property damage was burn marks on the fryer’s steel, said building manager Arturo Magallanes.
The smoke, however, triggered the fire alarm. Building occupants had to evacuate the premises, which disrupted events taking place in Ackerman for Alumni Day.]
Alumna Robin McGrath said she was disappointed to leave a panel with Disney representatives called “Insider’s Guide to Creativity and Innovation.”
“The timing was very poor,” McGrath said.
[Updated at 4:55 p.m.:
As of 4:20 p.m., the building was still closed to visitors. Magallanes said a technician was resetting the alarm system, and officials were waiting for fire marshall approval to reopen the premises.]
Compiled by Devin Kelly, Bruin senior staff.