Bookshelves line the north side of Norlin Library’s second floor. Firefighters responded to the library just before 7 a.m. on Feb. 9. Feb. 27, 2024. (Henry Larson/CU Independent)
Norlin Library fully reopened on Monday after a Feb. 9 fire caused portions of the building to close for several weeks.
While the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, documents prepared by the Boulder Fire-Rescue Department say its origin was a single chair that caught fire on Norlin’s second floor. The report, prepared by Chief Fire Marshal David Lowrey, also suggests a nearby light fixture was the “only possible” cause of the ignition.
The fire didn’t spread to any nearby bookshelves, according to the report.
Firefighters arrived at Norlin Library at 6:53 a.m. on Feb. 9, about an hour before the library officially opened. When they arrived, they were greeted by University of Colorado Boulder staff and found smoke in the main library area of the second floor.
After searching for the source of the smoke, they found a chair “burned to ashes” while the carpet under the chair was melted, according to another incident report prepared by firefighters. The report also identified smoke and ash damage in the surrounding area.
“The chair burned completely into a circular pile of char with almost nothing left except metal part(s) and some of the fabric from the back of the chair,” Lowrey’s report said.
No sprinklers turned on while the fire burned, which Lowrey said was likely because the fire was not hot enough to activate them.
After putting out the fire with an extinguisher, firefighters initially searched for a phone charger or rechargeable battery that could have started the blaze. They didn’t find anything.
“No heat or ignition source was found during the scene investigation. Specifically, no small battery that could be associated with a portable charger for a phone or a battery associated with an e-cigarette or vape pen,” Lowrey wrote in his report. “There was no electrical outlet or (charging) cable located in the debris. There were no signs of smoking or any other unusual activity.”
Although he didn’t find a definitive cause of the fire, Lowrey did identify a light fixture directly above the chair that had been heavily damaged.
“With no other ignition source located in the origin of the fire and no ignition source found in the debris, the light fixture remains the only possible cause of the fire,” his report said. The fixture didn’t have any obvious signs of malfunction.
Because Norlin Library is state property, the full investigation into the cause of the fire is being led by the CU Boulder Police Department. Officials have not made a final determination in their investigation.
“CUPD is continuing to analyze evidence and conduct interviews regarding the Norlin fire. CUPD will continue to update the public with any significant case updates,” CUPD Spokesperson Christine Mahoney said in a statement.
While no library materials burned in the fire, some books sustained smoke and ash damage that required library staff to contract a cleaning company which specializes in restoration services. Some areas of the library were closed for weeks as cleaning continued.
The company, SERVPRO, used specialized vacuums and rubber sponges to clean the covers of the books, according to statements published in CU Boulder Today. Some paintings suffered soot damage and needed to be assessed for cleaning, the university said.
And while Norlin Library may be open for business again, with the majority of fire remediation efforts completed, whether or not the university will have to replace any library materials is yet to be determined.
“(University) Libraries is still unpacking the boxes returned to them from the cleaning company,” said Stacy Wagner, a CU Boulder spokesperson, in an emailed statement. “It is possible that we won’t need to replace any items but we won’t know until we’ve reviewed the items properly.
Wagner said she didn’t know how long that review would take.
Contact CU Independent Special Investigations Editor Henry Larson at Henry.Larson@colorado.edu.
