Fire alarms and plumes of smoke sent confused South Campus Commons 7 residents from the building at about 11:45 p.m. yesterday in what fire officials called a garbage-room blaze.

College Park Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bill Corrigan said what sparked the fire is under investigation, but noted fires in trash compactors aren’t unusual.

“It’s pretty common in high-rise buildings,” Corrigan said.

Firefighters kept students outside the building until about 12:30 a.m., at which point residents of all floors but the terrace level, where the fire began, were allowed to reenter.

“There’s a pretty considerable smoke condition in the building,” Corrigan said. “It was necessary to evacuate.”

As students stood outside, cordoned off by police tape, firefighters from College Park, Prince George’s County and Branchville extinguished the flames. Most said they assumed it was a drill when the alarms sounded. Many remained unconcerned, but engrossed, throughout the commotion.

“I’ve never seen so much smoke in my life — the guys disappear when they walk in,” said senior international business major Marisol Vares.

Students said the ground floor garbage room, which also houses electrical equipment, began to emit smoke, shortly followed by the sounds of the sprinklers. No sprinklers were set off anywhere else in the building, although Corrigan said there was water damage to the bottom floor.

Junior engineering and government and politics major Jonas Tizabi, a resident assistant on the ground floor, called 911 when he saw smoke filling the hallway.

“I wasn’t sure where it was at first; smoke was coming from the first floor trash room,” Tizabi said. “I called 911. I’m sure there are still people chilling, but we did our job getting people out.”

Four fire engines, including a ladder truck, responded, along with University Police.

“We thought it was fake,” said senior accounting major Ellen Fine, a bottom-level resident. “I’m pretty worried about my stuff right now.”

About 20 minutes after the alarms began to sound, a Domino’s pizza delivery man walked past the fire trucks, yellow tape and crowds of students to the building. Students began to cheer as the man was turned away by firefighters.

Staff writers Jaclyn Borowski, Adele Hampton, Marissa Lang and Kate Raftery contributed to this report.

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