Science building on fire: the irony

Early Saturday morning, an officer was occupied with other things when the communication center dispatched them to an active fire alarm in Phillips Hall. 

The officer arrived on scene to see fire units in the Phillips lot as they set up water hoses. The officer said there was no visible smoke from the outside. They met with the Eau Claire Fire Department, who said they did not need any areas to be shut down at the time. 

The officer said there was an active fire and they were just about to put water on it. They said there was a lot of smoke in the building and they were not able to enter without a proper self-contained breathing apparatus. 

The officer said the room where the fire was did not have any windows, so the smoke was contained in the building. 

The Eau Claire Fire Department put the fire out and the scene was under control. They began to ventilate the building. The Battalion Chief said the fire was caused by a large printer that had started on fire. 

The officer gave their keys to the fire department so they could check additional areas in the building. There didn’t appear to be anyone in the building at the time, nor did the fire department locate anyone inside. 

The officer stood by until the building was ventilated. Once the area was safe for officers to enter, an inspector and the officer entered the building and arrived in room 266A. The officer photographed the area.

The inspector said they were able to see that the fire started in the large printer on the right side where the electronics and controls of the printer were. 

The officer said the entire room was covered in soot and the printer had been damaged beyond repair. 

This is all of the information given at the time. 

Speedy Gonzales

An officer was on active patrol early Friday morning along the Water Street bridge traveling westbound in a marked squad car. The officer observed a silver Jeep traveling eastbound toward their location at a high rate of speed. 

The officer visually estimated the vehicle to be traveling at 45 mph, which was faster than the posted speed limit of 25 mph. The officer activated their front radar antenna in approach mode and gained a reading of 44 mph. 

The officer initiated a traffic stop on this vehicle at the intersection of State Street and Summit Avenue. They made contact with the driver, who said they were headed to work in Blair, Wisconsin. They were unable to provide proof of insurance for the vehicle. 

The driver was valid to drive with no wants and not on probation. The officer issued the driver a citation for exceeding posted speed zones and a bond amount of $225.70.

The officer also gave the driver a written warning for no proof of insurance and cleared the scene.

What is that green stuff?

Late last Thursday night near the south end of the Human Sciences and Services building, an officer was able to see a group of individuals standing on Putnam Rock across the river. They saw one individual had a flashlight on.

The officer traveled over to the area and entered the park to observe the group from a distance. They observed the group in a circle to be passing around what appeared to be a joint or a cigarette. 

The officer began walking toward the group. When they arrived, they illuminated the group with their flashlight and announced their presence as the police and requested they come closer to where they were standing. 

As the group got closer, the officer could detect the odor of burnt marijuana. The officer asked if they had been smoking marijuana and they all admitted to doing so. One of the group members obtained a small amount of marijuana on them. 

The officer requested they all travel to a well lit area, and they did so. The officer asked the group if they had been in contact with police in regards to drugs before and they said they never had. 

The officer explained the diversion program to the group and they all agreed to take the class. The officer answered any questions the group had and cleared the scene. 

Dirks can be reached at [email protected].