Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department’s Engine 3 and Districts 1 and 8 responded to a fire alarm at 1768 MTSU Boulevard (Keathley University Center) on Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) campus around 7:30 Wednesday evening.
Upon arrival, crews found that the Ansul-type suppression system under the hood in the building’s shared kitchen had been manually activated and there was no fire present. The suppression system dumps pre-charged chemicals to suppress grease fires.
Crews silenced the alarm and made contact with the employee that pulled the system. The employee informed Captain/Shift Inspector Brian Lowe that a fire around the rice cooking station prompted her to pull the system.
After inspecting the cooking station, Lowe discovered thermal damage at the “quick connect” coupling and flex hose coming from the gas main. There was no damage to the surrounding appliances.
As a precaution, Lowe turned the quarter turn valve off at the main that supplied the rice cookers.
MTSU public safety officials arrived on scene to reset the alarm. Every effort is being made this morning to reset the suppression system to get the kitchen in running order as soon as possible.