Students eating at Simmons Dining Commons last night had quite the interruption to their dinner.

"The fire alarm went off and we were all sent outside," Mike Festa (junior-telecommunications), a Simmons Dinning Commons employee, said. "When we came back inside there was a huge flood in the north dinning hall of Simmons."

Assistant Director of Housing Chad Henning said a sprinkler line in the attic froze over the last couple of days, and when it finally thawed last night, it ruptured.

"There is no permanent damage," he said. "It is all water damage that can be cleaned up."

After a second fire alarm went off, Simmons Dining Commons employees started cleaning up the flood with mops and vacuums.

"After it flooded, all the kids that were eating in the north dining room were able to get new food, and we had to clean up their trays, plates and food," Simmons Dining Commons employee, Jen Beck (senior-advertising and public relations), said.

Karen Henderson, Simmons Dining Commons manager, said that after the flood was under control, students were allowed back in to eat in the south dining room.

Although south dining room was quickly filling up with students, people were not being turned away, Henderson said. Dining commons employees were, however, informing the students that seating was tight.

Henderson said she and other staff members were wiping off tables and chairs and moving them to the south dining hall to accommodate the large number of students.

As of 6 last night, Maria Mabilog, assistant manager of Simmons Dining Commons, said the staff would be spending all night cleaning up the flood.

"The staff will be working to clean it up most of the night, but I think we have it under control now," she said.