BVI Fire and Rescue Services was called to help investigate a minor fire at the new Culinary Arts Centre at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College on Jan. 2, Station Officer Melvin Jeffers said Monday.
A faulty air-conditioning unit in the centre’s electrical room caused the blaze, according to Geraldine Ritter-Freeman, HLSCC’s director of communication.
“It caused it to burn and melt, at extreme heat,” Ms. Ritter-Freeman said.
The fire “burnt some of the power lines that feed the transformer on the road,” Mr. Jeffers said.
The flames, however, were contained quickly, and they were extinguished before firefighters arrived, according to Ms. Ritter-Freeman.
“It did not affect the operation of the centre. It was not enough to halt operations at the centre,” she said.
An assessment on the electrical damage will be conducted, she added.
The $2.2 million facility, which opened in September, has two cooking labs, office space and a common area for students, among other amenities. Before opening, the project faced several delays after government announced it in 2008.
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