John Jay residence hall evacuated after trash chute catches fire

John Jay residence hall was evacuated early Tuesday morning after a trash chute caught on fire.

Students reported seeing smoke in the hallways, and the fire set off the dorm’s sprinklers.

Though authorities warned that it would take a while to reset the fire alarms and sprinklers, they began letting residents back in around 1 a.m. By then, water had seeped into the elevators, and they were out of commission.

According to a public safety officer, a water line burst between floors five and seven, and a portion of the fifth floor was flooded.