Late last week, on the morning of Thursday, November 13th, a fire broke out at the University of Alabama Aquatic Center, according to student paper The Crimson White. The fire was contained to the pump room for the 50 meter pool, and the Tuscaloosa Fire Department responded and extinguished the flame.
“No one was injured; however, the pump room was damaged and will require extensive cleaning and replacement of electrical and plumbing equipment. No other areas of the Aquatic Center were affected,” the Crimson White quotes Director of Media Relations Cathy Andreen as saying.
The University of Alabama also has a separate indoor 8-lane, 25-yard pool, an indoor 4-lane, 25-yard pool, and an outdoor pool, so the team is not without water. Alabama doesn’t host another college meet until they welcome in Cincinnati on January 23rd, though the pool has become significantly more crowded due to the many groups that need to use it, according to one member of the team.
The official Facebook page for UREC Aquatics, Alabama’s aquatics arm, confirmed the fire and posted a modified lap swimming schedule.
Really, the only viable alternate facility is the 8 Lane indoor 25yd pool – the other 4 Lane indoor pool (attached to the Student Rec centre) is barely 3 feet deep and the outdoor (recreation) pool is unheated and closed for the season plus the divers have no where to dive at all.
Could this fire be a sign that it is time for a new state of the arts aquatics center be constructed at the University of Alabama?