A fire in the Robert L. Carothers Library on June 27 at 1:40 a.m. damaged the lower level and caused its closure for the fall semester.
Damage affected two study rooms, two classrooms, the IT services office and the surrounding area’s flooring, ceiling and wallboard, according to David Palazzetti, senior director of facilities operations. Scopes of damage uniquely impacted each section making repair efforts multifaceted.
URI’s Department of Public Safety alerted library staff to a fire in the lower level of the library, near classrooms LL11 and LL12, according to Doug Michael, assistant director of custodial services. Within minutes, building fire suppression systems extinguished the flame. Smoke and water damage still remain, requiring closure during the fall semester.
Although the fire damaged no collections, it did displace URI’s IT services and Academic Enhancement Center teams, according to the University Library Service’s lower level updates webpage. IT services now operates on the first floor, with AEC tutoring conducted on the third floor.
A fan located outside of a study room in the lower-level caught fire overnight, according to Brian Gallagher, head of access services at the library. The cause of ignition was unclear, as the fan was plugged in and switched off, positioned on top of a chair. Fans were in use throughout the lower-level to circulate air after cleaning the floors earlier that day.
“My main fear was the water,” Gallagher said, “When you hear about the sprinklers going off, you think every sprinkler in the building [is going off].”
Sprinklers only trigger in a targeted area, surrounding the detected source of the fire, according to Gallagher. This limited the impact of water damage to the lower level.
A large repair was anticipated, according to Michael. The presence of asbestos tile further complicated repairs.
“The asbestos tile we found was contained under carpet, so there was no safety risk before the flood,” David Palazzetti, the URI’s senior director of facilities operations said. “But, as soon as we pulled up the carpeting, we had to remove it as it was unfortunately not viable.”
Affected asbestos containing materials were removed with all precautions taken and per standards, according to Palazzetti.
Asbestos, used in construction for its fire-retardant qualities, over time has been identified as a health hazard, according to the World Health Organization. Inhaling fibers from broken or loose material containing asbestos may increase risk of cancer in exposed individuals.
Single Source Disaster Recovery Specialists is contracted to complete the remediation and subsequent repair, according to Michael. An additional subcontractor, EMI Global, is expected to clean the library’s ventilation systems.
Library staff appreciated the quick response and communication between departments, according to Gallagher.
“You know, you’ve got to make do with a situation like this,” said Gallagher.
Repairs are structured to prioritize safe access to the lower level as soon as possible, according to Palazzetti. Repairs in LL11 and LL12 classrooms are expected to be complete by the end of next week.
Completion of the IT services office and AEC tutoring space are expected subsequently by November 2025, according to Palazzetti. The library’s lower level will reopen for uninterrupted access by January 2026.
