Freshers evacuated after fire breaks out at Stamford Street

This was not a drill


Terrified freshers were forced to evacuate Stamford Street apartments after a fire broke out in the early hours of the morning.

The source of the fire remains unknown as the room’s tenant is currently away. Fortunately, nobody was harmed.

The alarm, first raised at 2:05 in the morning, was set off a further four times – leaving students confused as to whether they were allowed back into the building.

Fire marshals logged the students who returned to their flats, saying they would receive a “formal warning” because they weren’t following official procedure.

In an email sent out to residents, the King’s residence team said: “Most followed the fire evacuation procedure, it is disappointing some residents failed to follow the evacuation procedure and remained in the building/flats. This puts you and others at risk. Please for your own safety always evacuate.”

The alarm went off in the early hours of the morning

The room’s resident is currently away so the cause of the fire remains unknown

Jonathan Mounty, a fresher at Stamford Street, told The Tab: “The first time we went back in, but the second time they got a register and everything.”

Speaking anonymously, one confused fresher explained: “When we had a fire drill a few weeks ago, we were allowed back into our rooms as soon as the alarm stopped ringing, so everyone assumed that was the case this time, but apparently not.”

But while students from other blocks attempted military-style covert operations to return to bed, those living in block two were less fortunate and had to remain in the courtyard for longer.

A student who lives in the flat opposite to the fire said: “We were obviously really concerned when we saw that there was more and more smoke.

“Everything stinks but there’s been no real damage outside the room the fire occurred in.”

Witnesses report seeing smoke

When there have been alarms in the past, students have been let back in their rooms

On top of that, the amount of water needed to extinguish the fire caused flooding in the block.

A resident said: “All the water we saw spilling out onto the courtyard at 3:30am – turns out most of it ended up on the Floor 7 stairwell.

“I’m not talking a potentially hazardous puddle, we pretty much had to wade from the lift to our door.”

As the clean up operation continued into the morning of Sunday 15th November, freshers living inside the flat where the fire originated were told they were unable to return to their rooms that night.

Meanwhile, as that everyone was safe circulated around the courtyard, students were left to entertain themselves out in the cold.

History fresher Jamie entertained many with a poem which he recited exclusively for The Tab:

“Remember remember the 15th of November,

“Being woken with my head in my hands,

“I see no reason, why for this fire alarm treason,

“We should be paying over six fucking grand.”

If it’s not on Snapchat, did it even happen?

While some wrote poems, sleep deprived and delirious Economics student David Chen was among the hundreds of residents left to contemplate existence.

He said: “I need sleep but I feel the urge to think about life, out here in the cold.”

Fresher Sophie Stummvoll was happy to be surrounded by firemen, asking: “Is this a fire rehearsal, or a Magic Mike strip show?”

Meanwhile, first year Law student Melissa told The Tab: “It was Snapchat story gold – looking around the courtyard at the array of phones recording the events really reflected our wonderful generation.”

Stamford Street’s resident cat, while unavailable to make a comment, emerged from block four at around 2:30am to the relief of hundreds in the courtyard who welcomed him with open arms.

History fresher Emily said: “I don’t really care what happens, as long as Nando’s is okay.”