Roof fire at Winthrop University’s Byrnes Auditorium forces evacuation
A construction roof fire Tuesday atop an auditorium on the Winthrop University campus in Rock Hill forced an evacuation, officials said.
No one was injured in the fire on top of Byrnes Auditorium, said Wes Wiles, Winthrop University Police Department assistant chief.
About 30 construction workers and people who have offices in the building that is undergoing ongoing renovations were evacuated, Wiles said.
The building remains closed as renovations continue, Wiles said.
Employees and students in the adjoining music conservatory were not affected by the fire, Wiles said.
The fire started before noon Tuesday, and was contained to the roof, but smoke entered the air conditioning units and forced people to be evacuated, said Mark Simmons, Rock Hill Fire Department deputy chief.
Firefighters were on scene until after 4 p.m. until the smoke was cleared.
The fire was determined to be accidental, Simmons said.
The fire started during work by contractors repairing the roof, Simmons said.
In 2010, a roof fire at Owens Hall on the Winthrop campus caused millions of dollars in damages. That fire also happened during construction.
The March 2010 fire started on the flat roof connecting Owens Hall and Bancroft Hall, and burned for more than 24 hours. It caused extensive fire and water damage to both buildings and forcing the relocation of classes and offices for months.
Winthrop won a $7 million settlement after a civil lawsuit in that 2010 fire, court records show.
Andrew Dys: 803-329-4065, @AndrewDysHerald
This story was originally published August 22, 2018 at 10:07 AM.