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WILKES-BARRE — The ceramics studio at Wilkes University sustained extensive damage in a fire there Wednesday night.
Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Makar said it appears that heat from the chimney for the kiln ignited the ceiling joists surrounding it, leading to a fire within the ceiling.
The kiln was in use at the time the fire broke out, Makar said.
Firefighters found light smoke coming from the roof of the building, located on South River Street near West South Street. Inside the room around the chimney, firefighters could see a red glow from the fire in the rafters.
“We ripped down the ceiling and opened the roof to make sure it didn’t extend any more,” Makar said. “We had to be careful. We didn’t want to crack that kiln,” he added.
Makar said the fire was contained to the ceramics studio.
Wilkes spokeswoman Vicki Mayk said damage was contained to the studio, which is located adjacent to Bedford Hall, where the university’s integrated media and art classes are held.
Mayk said the studio would be unusable for the foreseeable future, but it was too soon to say Wednesday night whether classes held there would be canceled or moved to another location. That information should be forthcoming on Thursday, she said.
Makar said two engine companies, the department’s Special Operations vehicle and a medic unit were dispatched to the fire, and he called out additional firefighters in case another fire broke out somewhere else in the city.