Flood causes ‘significant damage' at SJSU
January 2, 2009 – (Mercury News) -- San Jose State University's Student Union sustained major damage Thursday after more than 27,000 gallons of water flooded its bowling alley and main dining area.
Between 4:30 and 9:30 a.m., a compressor in a refrigeration unit apparently overheated and caught fire, activating the sprinkler system, said San Jose State police Sgt. Robert Noriega. At least 6 inches of water saturated the main floor, then leaked to the basement, where the bowling alley is.
"There is significant damage to the building," said San Jose Fire Capt. Robert Culbertson.
Although an alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., San Jose Fire was not contacted until 9:30 a.m., when the flooding was discovered.
Noriega said he was still investigating whether the officers on duty at 4:30 a.m. responded to the alarm and didn't discover anything, or didn't respond at all. No one was in the building at the time because the campus is closed for winter break.
Between 4:30 and 9:30 a.m., a compressor in a refrigeration unit apparently overheated and caught fire, activating the sprinkler system, said San Jose State police Sgt. Robert Noriega. At least 6 inches of water saturated the main floor, then leaked to the basement, where the bowling alley is.
"There is significant damage to the building," said San Jose Fire Capt. Robert Culbertson.
Although an alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., San Jose Fire was not contacted until 9:30 a.m., when the flooding was discovered.
Noriega said he was still investigating whether the officers on duty at 4:30 a.m. responded to the alarm and didn't discover anything, or didn't respond at all. No one was in the building at the time because the campus is closed for winter break.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
