Sunday morning, cleaning crews in the Busch Student Center
detected a haze and a strong odor of smoke in the building. They
alerted the Department of Public Safety, which sounded the fire
alarm and alerted the St. Louis Fire Department.

The source of the problem, fire crews discovered, was twofold.
An electric fireplace in the BSC’s third floor commuter lounge,
intended for short-term use, remained lit all night. According to
Steve Bonner, a DPS officer on the scene, the fire overheated the
tile wall above the fireplace as well as its wooden mantle.

There were no signs of charring, but Bonner said the wooden
mantle was three to four hours away from combustion.

The smoke in the building was caused by the fire place’s
poor ventilation.

The second problem was an electrical fire occurring at the
recently-opened Au Bon Pain bakery at the north end of the
building. According to DPS, a switching gear in the kitchen
machinery was damaged and caught fire. A more specific cause for
the fire has yet to be determined.

Within 30 minutes of responding to the alarm, the fire
department secured the building.

Neither of the incidents caused injuries.