Is it really so bad that you have to burn it down?

Throughout the year we have had numerous fire alarms here at Virginia Woolf. None of us really think anything of it, the alarm goes off and we casually grab our cards, mobiles and a jumper and head down to stand around and wait for the alarms to turn off. Usually we mill around grumble about why the alarms went off, etc....
This time there was no need to wonder why, smoke was clearly visible from the bottom kitchen of A block (the block next to mine). There was also a definite smell of smoke when we walked out. Anyway so we stood around watching the smoke billow out of the kitchen windows and the vent above the main doors, a few minutes later a fire truck pulled in and a handful of firemen complete with air tanks and masks went to see about the fire. Another fireman came along with a huge sledge hammer and we of course got excited (something was about to get smashed up). He swung the hammer up and within a few good whacks the kitchen window was no more. The firemen went in with the hose pipes and I assume extinguished the fire.
Afterwards they proceeded to drag out the couch, along with all the burned bit of counter, etc...
All in all a fairly exciting Monday evening. No one was hurt as far as I know, (well there was a guy doing a bit of coughing, but a medic came along and gave him some oxygen and then the ambulance showed up and two paramedics walked off with him. Didn't seem to be to bad off though, was laughing and chatting with his friends who were having a go at him.
I do wonder whats going to happen to those that live in that flat, as they have no more kitchen and I'm sure the smoke damage is bad. Guess uni will have to put them up for a while.
I didn't have my camera with me, otherwise I would have videoed the whole thing, I did snap a few photos after they let us B blockers back in though. You can see the bits they pulled out, and the smashed up glass on the ground. Also got a photo of the firemen milling around afterwards.