University Relations A fire in the kitchen area at Wallace-Wilson Commons on the Iowa State University campus Wednesday night, Feb. 21, has closed the kitchen indefinitely. Fire investigators determined Thursday morning that the cause was spontaneous combustion of cleaning towels and aprons.
Damage is contained to extensive smoke damage in the kitchen.
The fire was extinguished by firefighters from the Ames Fire Department. No student residence areas were affected by the fire. The commons area, convenience store and post office are open. The Wallace-Wilson Commons is located south of campus between Storm Street and Mortensen Parkway in the Towers residence complex. Stewart Burger, director of campus dining services, said he is meeting with professional cleaners this morning to determine how long it will take to clean the area and get the kitchen back in service.