Reamer Campus Center at Union College evacuated after 'small fire'

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Schenectady firefighters raise an aerial ladder to the roof of the Union College Reamer Center for a heavy smoke condition in the attic shortly after noon on Nov. 11, 2021. The fire was located and extinguished, causing minimal damage.

SCHENECTADY — The Reamer Campus Center at Union College was evacuated Thursday as emergency crews responded to a fire in the attic of the building.

The Schenectady Fire Department arrived on campus around 11:30 a.m. after several employees reported smelling smoke. An investigation discovered a “small fire” in the west attic of the building, according to Phil Wajda, a college spokesman.

The building was evacuated while crews extinguished the fire, Wajda said.

“An alert went to all members of the Union community advising that the building was closed and that lunch would be served from the West College dining facilities,” Wajda said.

The building was reopened by 1:30 p.m., Wajda said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Minor water damage was reported in several administrative offices on the building’s fourth floor.