A pipe in the North Hubbard Hall main entrance froze and then burst at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. As the water spilled onto the lobby entrance, the fire-alarm system began to sound and residents were evacuated from the building.

"When the pipe broke, the alarm system sensed water," said Paula Palmiter, assistant manager of Akers and Hubbard halls. Because the residence hall's indoor sprinkler system is connected to the alarm, the system mistook the water as an indication of fire, she explained. The fire department also was automatically alerted and dispatched.

The fire department arrived and the alarm was silenced within eight minutes, Palmiter said.

Eight minutes was still long enough for some residents of Hubbard Hall to wake up and stumble outside.

"At first, I thought it was my alarm going off," no-preference sophomore Kyle Souder said. He and his roommate live on the first floor directly off the lobby. They exited the building to await instructions.

When Souder returned to his room, he found that water from the broken pipe had flowed into it from the lobby. Approximately a half inch of water was on the floor, he said.

Because there is no carpet in his dorm room, the water spread and damaged his computer, Souder said. Palmiter acknowledged the damaged computer and said it would be examined by the university.

Scott Butcher also lives on the first floor of North Hubbard Hall and noticed the leaking water in the hallway before he left the building. The turf grass management freshman and his roommate stuffed towels next to the door to prevent flooding. Though the water reached the carpet, there wasn't any damage to possessions.

"I was surprised how well the staff handled it," Butcher said. Dorm staff squeegeed the floor and tried to contain the excess water. Palmiter said it took approximately two hours to clean up, and that floor fans dried the soaked carpet throughout the day.

The pipe that broke was close to the door and more vulnerable to freezing, Palmiter said, adding that the pipe had been insulated last year and shouldn't have burst. A larger concern was the small number of students who actually evacuated the building when the alarm sounded, she said.

The sprinkler system in Hubbard Hall was installed three years ago. "This is a minor inconvenience compared to its benefits," Palmiter said.