A Sunday morning fire in the Red Jacket Dining Hall has forced the Faculty Student Association to close the facility temporarily while the damage is cleaned up and investigated.
According to a UB press release, the damage is estimated between $75,000 and $100,000, and the cleanup will take two to three days.
Until cleanup is finished, all Ellicott residents will be redirected to the Richmond Dining Hall, where hours will be extended to accommodate all students.
No one was injured in the fire, which did not spread beyond the dish room, according to the press release. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The fire, which was reported at 7:30 a.m., made it an early Sunday morning for many students, who were evacuated from the building as fire engines pulled up to the scene. Some students found the event less humorous than others.
"This isn't funny," said Christine Martin, a sophomore education major. "Everyone else got a laugh out of it, but I don't see the humor in it."
Others said they thought UB could have handled the inconvenience differently.
"I was really disappointed this morning since both (Ellicott) dining halls were closed," said Clark Dever, a junior business major. "I mean, I love to eat out, but it's a shame the situation wasn't handled better."
Creative Managing Editor Silas Rader contributed to this story.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
