By Sarah Muscarello, Guest Contributor
At 7:57 a.m. on Aug. 31, the fire alarm in Edman Chapel activated, prompting a swift response from the Wheaton Fire Department. Wheaton College Public Safety Officer, Stephen Taylor, who responded to the fire, said there were no injuries and no fire protocol violations caused the incident.
“The amazing thing about this situation is that the fire broke out on a Sunday morning when no one was in the building,” Taylor said. “I believe we should all thank God for His grace in preventing a much larger disaster at Edman Chapel,” which hosts more than 2,000 students, staff and faculty for chapel three times a week.
When the fire personnel arrived, they found that the motor from an air handler in the south basement was on fire. After cutting power to the air handler, firefighters used carbon dioxide extinguishers to put out the flames. The team contained the fire within the fan motor housing to keep it from spreading to other parts of the chapel, and HVAC technicians used fans and ventilation to clear the smoke.
“The fire was mechanical in nature and most likely took place because the HVAC equipment in the building is pretty old,” said Taylor. “I believe the College has been anticipating renovating the mechanical rooms at Edman Chapel in 2028. Because of the fire, that might move renovation forward sooner.”
According to Director of Facilities Jay Bieszke, the incident should not raise safety concerns, as the systems worked as intended. The duct smoke detector provided an early warning, which enabled first responders to quickly locate and address the issue. The only thing the fire damaged was the fan motor, which was replaced on Monday, Sept. 8.
