City fire trucks crowded the streets outside the Science and Technology Building yesterday from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., as firefighters investigated a potentially explosive experiment in one of the laboratories.

A Syracuse University student was conducting an experiment with a chemical that ignites on contact with air when she realized there might be a risk of an accident, and alerted the fire department, said David Reeves, district chief of the Department of Fire.

‘She had great presence of mind to contain the experiment,’ Reeves said. ‘This is a situation where a lot of times, the people understand that it is not a terribly dangerous situation, but it could be.’

The student became concerned that the container she was using to store the chemical was inadequate, and might pose a risk, Reeves said.

The chemical, trimethyl phosphine, reacts with the oxygen in air or water to produce an explosion, Reeves said. While a blast may have been small and only damaged lab equipment, it could have ignited other chemicals in the lab and triggered a more serious situation.

‘We treated this very seriously,’ Reeves said. ‘Always err on the side of caution.’

Sixteen firefighters responded to the call – including eight members of the city’s Haz-Mat team – who searched and evacuated the building at about 9:30 p.m.

Public Safety officers blocked off the area around the Science and Technology Building with yellow caution tape, forcing students trying to cut through the parking lot between Shaw Residence Hall and Sims Hall to take a different route.

Carl Hawley, a Public Safety officer at the scene, said that a similar incident occurred about 10 years ago. That time, air did come in contact with the chemical, destroying a glass beaker and some lab equipment.

Tuesday’s incident resulted in no explosions or damage, and no one was injured, Reeves said.

The student involved in the incident declined to comment.

Published on September 21, 2004 at 12:00 pm