by Riley Bauling
Daily Lobo
While the state Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating the Zimmerman Library fire as arson, a general insurance adjuster said at Tuesday's Board of Regents meeting the fire seemed to be intentionally started.
Dan Martin, of the insurance company Keenan and Associates, was part of a team that updated the regents about the April 30 library fire. He wouldn't comment further on his statement, saying the fire was still under investigation.
When Regent Raymond Sanchez asked for a definitive answer about how the fire started, Kathy Guimond, UNM's chief of police, said the state Fire Marshal's Office hadn't concluded its investigation.
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Zimmerman Library is scheduled to reopen June 23, allowing access to the first floor, said Mary Vosevich, director of UNM's Physical Plant. The rest of the floors will be opened over the following week in a phased fashion, she said.
Extensive damage from the fire covered a total of 60,000 square feet, with damage from smoke and soot covering an area of 242,752 square feet, Vosevich said.
Martin's estimate for the damage was $5 million, but he said that could change as more information becomes available.
UNM's insurance policy covers the damage from the fire, Martin said. The University's deductible is $1,000 with a separate fine arts policy of $5,000, while the state is liable for $99,000 of the costs, he said.
Funding will be requested for a wet-pipe sprinkler system, as well as a camera-monitoring system in the reconstruction phase, said Fran Wilkinson, associate dean of University Libraries. The design for the reconstruction phase will begin July 5.
A 2002 report by University of Utah librarian Randy Silverman detailed the need for a sprinkler system throughout Zimmerman, but the suggestion was never acted on.
Wilkinson told the board Tuesday the report was never brought before the regents, but a copy was given to Brian Foster, the University's provost at the time.
