Five fire engines, a ladder truck and a rescue team were dispatched to McDonough Gymnasium last night at about 11:00 p.m.
Mike Callahan, head coach of the sailing team, was leaving his office at about 10:45 when he smelled smoke coming from the equipment room on the ground floor. After he called the Department of Public Safety and alerted university facilities, DPS contacted the D.C. Fire Department.
The fire was limited to one of the industrial dryers used for sports nylons in the back of the locker room. DPS official Morris Britt said the dryer will have to be replaced. There were no people in the room and the fire itself was minor. “There was no flames, just smoke,” one of the firefighters said.
The sergeant of Ladder Truck 2 examined the aftermath of the fire, which charred several socks and T-shirts. He believes the dryer was too hot, causing the clothes to begin smoking. He said this problem is often caused by a lack of air circulation in the machine.
“It may have been overloaded,” the sergeant said. “It’s not from the motor.”
