by Lori Gallegos
Daily Lobo
Damages from the fire that started in the basement of Zimmerman Library are estimated to be $1 million, said Capt. Mike Paiz, a public affairs officer for the Albuquerque Fire Department.
The estimate included damages to the building and to books.
According to Paiz, inspectors say the fire started in the periodical section of the basement on Sunday night, and alarms sounded at 10:51 p.m. The cause of the fire is still undetermined.
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"That's what they're investigating right now - ruling out all the possibilities," Paiz said.
Paiz said damage to the periodicals stored in the basement is extensive.
"Pretty much everything in the periodical section - probably 90 percent of it - is destroyed," he said.
Firefighters are still at Zimmerman to make sure smoldering books do not reignite, Paiz said.
"Every once and a while, they'll get a little rekindle," he said. "The books will start up (catch fire) again, and they'll go down there with the thermal lens view camera to identify what is hot and what's not, and they'll put water on those particular areas."
Paiz said crews are trying to prevent as much water damage to books as possible.
"The reason why they don't just go in there and put everything out and soak everything is they're trying to salvage the books that don't have any water damage," he said.
Monday evening, inspectors found what they thought was a potentially hazardous substance at the site of the fire, Paiz said.
The fire department was "suspecting there may be some PCBs down there," he said. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site, PCBs are mixtures of man-made chemicals that were prohibited by Congress in 1977 as a result of concerns over their toxicity and stability.
Paiz said the building had to be evacuated, and only crew members wearing protective gear were allowed to enter.
"They've basically had people out of the area until they can identify what the substance is," Paiz said.
Later Monday night, test results confirmed the chemical was benign, Paiz said, and it did not necessarily have any connection to the cause of the fire.
Karen Wentworth, a UNM spokeswoman, said the University was working to accommodate students studying for finals. She said the library will be closed until at least Wednesday.
SUB Ballrooms B and C will be open until midnight tonight, Wentworth said. Higher Grounds, the coffee shop in the SUB, will also be open until midnight.
The Center for Academic Program Support, or CAPS, has been moved to Centennial Library, and Parish and Centennial Libraries will be open until midnight tonight, Wentworth said.
"Then they'll have to figure out in the longer term what's going to happen," she said.
She said quiet study areas will be available to students in the SUB in the Navajo Lounge, the atrium and in the Cochiti Room.
Zimmerman staff will set up laptops for students who need to access e-reserves in the SUB today.
Students who need to return books to Zimmerman can turn them in at Parish Library or Centennial Library, Wentworth said.
