No major damage in Chemistry lab fire

A small chemical fire broke out in Sterling Chemistry Laboratory last night but was extinguished quickly with minimal damage to the building. The fire was caused by a reaction between sodium and outside air that started while a laboratory was being cleaned, Yale Fire Marshal Michael Johns said.

“It was what I would term a ‘minor process hazard-type mistake,'” he said. “There was very minimal damage.”

The fire remained small and produced a small amount of smoke before it was extinguished by the occupant of the lab around 9 p.m. Yale and New Haven fire officials arrived shortly thereafter.

–Andrew Paciorek