UPDATE 10:33 p.m.
The power outage is related to the Lausche Heating Plant fire, according to Peter Trentacoste, Ohio University's director of Residential Housing.
"The power issue is complex (it is fire related) and our facilities folks are working as quickly as possible (to) resolve it," Trentacoste tweeted at 10:28 p.m. Monday.
OU's Critical Incident Response Team was meeting around this time, said Jennifer Krisch, an OU spokeswoman, and could not be immediately reached for comment.
The team is co-chaired by OU Police Department Chief Andrew Powers and Assistant Vice President for Safety and Risk Management Joe Adams. The team is activated during any "crisis situation" at the university, according to its guidelines on OU's website.
Power outages are still affecting campus buildings on the main green including Alden Library and Baker University Center.
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Ohio University's Critical Incident Response Team was mobilized at about 9:30 p.m. Monday to respond to a fire at the Lausche Heating Plant, Krisch said.
An electrical fire at the plant caused about half of OU's campus buildings to go dark Monday evening.
Athens Fire responded to the call around 8:30 p.m. When they arrived heavy smoke was billowing out of the building, said Athens Fire Chief Bob Troxel.
Respondents were initially concerned with the toxins in the smoke, Troxel said, but they've since contained the smoke and the fire.
However, occassionally flames will flare up, he said.
Athens Fire cut a hole in the side of Lausche in order to access the fire. The flames were doused with carbon dioxide, though the department ran out and used university fire extinguishers.
Troxel said he was unsure whether students would be without heat.
There are no injuries at this time.
dd195710@ohiou.edu
@WillDrabold
