Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, was forced to cancel classes for the end of the week of June 20-24 as the result of the Edgewood Fire in San Mateo County. Almanac News reported that the fire is about 90 percent contained as of June 22.
The fire spread to about 25 acres near the campus area when the power failure occurred. Power was eventually restored for cooling equipment for Stanford Hospital and other critical infrastructure. The university set up special locations for food access to power for those who remained on campus, and transferred portable lighting to student areas. Parking garages also closed but have reopened.
Earlier in the week, Pacific Gas & Electric was unable to access the area where the failure occurred because of the fire, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The utility provided limited power to the campus, but not enough to meet the university’s normal needs.
The power that was provided enabled the hospital to maintain cooling for the hospital, among other important infrastructure.
Dave Lubach is managing editor, Facility Market.
