Firefighters dispatched to Golden Bear Village South for the second time this semester

An oven fire causes Building 10 residents to evacuate at 2 a.m.

By Gina Glantz

Six fire trucks arrived at Golden Bear Village South Building 10 on Oct. 6, 2024 after a stove fire caused the alarm to go off.

The fire was contained to the stove, but students reported smelling smoke on the third floor. 

“When the fire alarm went off and I left my apartment, I immediately got hit with the smell of smoke. I couldn’t believe it was a real fire,” said Mallory Johnson, a resident of Building 10. 

There were no reports of injuries, and firefighters ventilated the room after the fire was extinguished.

This is the second fire that started at Golden Bear Village South this semester. A hot oil spill forced students in Building 50 to evacuate in August. At the previous fire, firefighters, police and ambulances arrived on the scene; however, only firefighters arrived on this occasion. 

The students who evacuated Building 10 wore pajamas and complained about losing sleep and being cold. Residence Life staff kept the crowd informed by stating that there was a fire and emergency personnel were on their way. In response one resident shouted, “Who’s cooking at 3 a.m.?” 

Residents cheered after firefighters arrived nearly ten minutes later, but people started getting restless after standing in 49-degree temperatures for 30 minutes. Several students sat on the grass outside and walked to the Advantage Point apartment complex. Students were allowed back in the building after approximately 35 to 40 minutes.