By Jerry Zhang
Fireworks were allegedly set off on the seventh floor of Pitman Hall at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) on Nov. 20 night around 11 p.m., according to some of the building’s residents, prompting students to temporarily evacuate the residence building.
Toronto Fire Services confirmed they received a call at 11:16 p.m. and dispatched crews to 160 Mutual St.
“We did respond there,” said a Toronto Fire Services representative. The representative added that the fire department was there to reset the alarms and could not confirm whether fireworks had caused the alarm.
Julia Brooks, a second-year criminology student living in Pitman Hall, said she and her roommate were in their apartment on the seventh floor when they heard what sounded like fireworks go off in the hallway.
“I heard this loud banging noise out in the hallway,” Brooks said. “About 30 seconds later, the fire alarm starts blaring and we grabbed our coats and our IDs and everything…we just got out of there.”
After leaving their rooms, she said there was smoke in the hallway and realized it was not a false alarm.
Madison Law Jones, a first-year arts and contemporary studies student and Brooks’ roommate, described seeing thick smoke in the hallway after leaving her room.
“When we opened our apartment door…there was so much smoke, so we didn’t know if it was a fire,” she said.
Jones said residents on other floors told her that they could see and smell the smoke as well.
Both students said they waited in the Rogers Communication Centre after evacuating due to the rain.
When they received the notice they could return to their rooms, they saw ash-like residue on the floor and bench in the hallway of the seventh floor.
“We came back upstairs…everyone was kind of conversing in the hallway,” Brooks said. They believed someone set off the firework or firecracker due to the residue on the floor and bench.
The incident caused anxiety among residents, according to both students.
“It was pretty scary because it’s like loud banging…we didn’t know what the situation was going to turn into,” said Jones.
She also said that because this happened on her floor and close to her apartment, it made her feel even more alarmed.
Brooks expressed she was relieved it didn’t turn into a fire. “I almost cried, to be honest, because it was scary,” she said.
The Eyeopener reached out to the university regarding the alleged fireworks and potential safety concerns but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Jones noted having no cameras in residence hallways would make it difficult to identify the person responsible.
“I understand not having cameras in the apartments, but…in the hallways, I feel like that would be super helpful in a situation like this,” she said.
Brooks said the building’s resident advisor spoke to students after the incident and ensured they were safe after the incident.
The Eye reached out to the university regarding cameras in the hallways and if they would consider implementing them to address safety concerns, however they did not receive a response in time for publication.
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