Widener Fire Alarm

When the wind blows, the fire alarm goes. Cambridge fire officials blamed the wind for yesterday morning's false alarm at Widener Library, the latest in a series of alarms which have caused the evacuation of the building.

The high winds blew a window open and then most likely triggered the fire alarm, Frank E. LaMantea, the head of building services for the library said yesterday, adding, "it is better that the system is too sensitive than not sensitive enough."

A similar incident occurred early in October when sawdust from carpentry triggered an alarm.

Although more investigation of the incident will be carried out, there are no plans to modify the system so that it will not be so sensitive, LaMantea said.

More than 100 people waited in the bitter cold for a half hour until fire officials had inspected the building. One engine and one ladder company responded to the alarm.