College Building Evacuated Due to Mechanical Fire and Blackout

An Ocean County College building filled with smoke and was evacuated as the rest of the campus dealt with a short power outage, all due to lightning striking during a storm that began at 6:30 p.m.

Lightning struck the Ocean County College campus around 6:30 p.m. April 12, causing a blackout campuswide. Classrooms, traffic lights and street lights all went dark for about five to 10 minutes before power was restored.

The lighting strike also caused the malfunction of an air handler unit, resulting in smoke leaking into the bookstore, officials said.

Ocean County College security aided in an evacuation of the building, as Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1 responded. The bookstore building is adjacent to the Student Center on the College Drive campus in Toms River. The bookstore is normally open through 7 p.m. but no injuries to students or staff were reported.

Silverton Fire Chief Bob Sinnott said the bookstore began filling with smoke due to malfunctioning equipment as a result of the blackout.

"The motor of an air handler unit in the mechanical room of Building 16 — the book store — malfunctioned and the room filled with smoke. The building was evacuated, and there were no injuries," Sinnot said.

Ocean County College security was on hand to direct traffic on College Drive while waiting for the power to be restored to the traffic lights.

After the blackout, buildings' power began to kick in, while the library building was among the last to stay dark. Security personnel directed students using flashlights who tried to enter the building's lobby.

Evening classes were in session on campus at the time of the blackout, such as the class period of 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.