After fire, several residents return

Correction appended

Some of the 34 faculty and staff members evacuated from their homes at the College Road Apartments following a four-alarm fire Thursday have been allowed to move back into their homes. Borough Police said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The fire, which destroyed Unit 2 of the 13-unit complex located on College Road opposite McCarter Theatre was reported by Yoshiaki Shimizu, a professor of at and archaeology, a resident of Unit 2 who was returning home Thursday afternoon. The fire began on the second floor of Unit 2, an investigation by the Borough Police, Princeton Fire and Safety Inspections and Mercer County Prosecutor's Office Arson Unit found. It took more than two hours for fire departments from Princeton and 10 surrounding municipalities to put it out.

One resident, James McClure, a research historian at Firestone Library, wasn't in the building when the fire broke out and heard the news through his daughter. He confirmed that there were no sprinklers in the building and that the displaced residents were all given rooms in the Nassau Inn.

As the University rapidly launched an investigation into the blaze, it continued to provide emergency housing for the displaced residents. University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 said that the Office of Risk Management immediately began working with the insurance agencies of both the residents and the University to begin an assessment of damages.

A fence was set up around the fire-damaged units yesterday, and workers in hard hats continued to clear out debris throughout the day. Parking in the spaces along College Road is also restricted to individuals who have obtained prior authorization from Public Safety.

Correction

The original version of the story incorrectly reported an earlier figure of 32 residents evacuated instead of the actual 34. The story also stated that a damage assessment would begin soon when in fact that assessment had commenced immediately after the fire. The Daily Princetonian regrets these errors.