Car fire closes parking garage

Sarah Sieber/State Hornet

Fire damage, smoke residue and the charred remains of a burned-out truck will keep portions of the campus parking garage closed for several days.

The fire destroyed a red 1995 Dodge Ram truck on the fourth floor of the garage last Sunday and left a trail of smoke and debris throughout much of the structure.

“A call came into campus police at 10:28 a.m. that a fire was occurring in Parking Structure,” said John Hammrick, University Police investigator.

According to Hammrick, police and fire units completed a “textbook response.”

“Traffic was easily diverted and no injuries were reported due to the car fire,” said Hammrick.

The blaze was extinguished by 10:51 a.m.

The extent of damage has yet to be determined, but includes extensive smoke damage to the floor and ceiling of the fourth floor.

“It will take several days to ensure the structural soundness of the area surrounding where the fire occurred,” said Howard Harris, associate vice president of Facilities Management.

Once that is finished, it will be “necessary to clear away soot and paint over affected areas,” said Harris.

The gutted truck belonged to “an unidentified male student” said Hammrick, and was parked alone on the fourth floor of the parking structure.

Sacramento Fire Department officials are considering arson as a possible reason for the fire.

“The cause has yet to be identified and it will be several days before the arson investigator will know the circumstances behind the fire,” said Hammrick.

Original examinations of the garage estimated that over 500 student parking spaces would be closed due to the fire. That number was reduced to 160 spaces on the south side of the top three floors after Facilities Management successfully removed a large amount of debris from the affected area.

Campus officials hope to have the entire garage reopened no later than today.

“This may cause an inconvienience for students, but the key is to remember that is only temporary,” said Nancy Fox, director of University Transportation and Parking Services.

“The best advice would be to just arrive a few minutes earlier in order to deal with any parking congestion caused by this incident,” said Fox.