campus-related incidents 2012 chronological...campus-related incidents 2012 chronological campus...

Campus-Related Incidents 2012 Chronological

Campus Firewatch PO Box 1046

Belchertown, MA 01007 1-413-323-6002

[email protected]

Campus Incidents 2012

Information about these incidents was obtained primarily from media sources and, unless otherwise indicated, has not been independently verified. A number of different sources are used to obtain as comprehensive a report as is possible. Since January 2000, over 80% of the people have died in off-campus student housing. Because the media does not necessarily report all fires as involving students, it is reasonable to assume that there are significantly more incidents involving students than are compiled in this document. Fatal fires are in red.

Campus Incidents 2012 Sorted by Date

Unless otherwise indicated, this information was compiled from media sources and was not verified.

Page 1 Information compiled by Campus Firewatch ©2013 www.campus-firewatch.com [email protected]

Date School City State Fatalitie

s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

1/11/12 University of Arizona

Tucson AZ Greek, sorority,

Alpha Phi

Sprinkler Electrical A fire in the Alpha Phi sorority that was caused by an electrical malfunction in a television set was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. The fire was reported at 4:23. p.m. and all 56 occupants safely evacuated.

1/11/12 University of Florida

Gainesville FL Academic, laboratory

An explosion in a chemistry lab caused minor injuries to one student and closed the laboratory for at least one day while it was decontaminated. The incident occurred at approximately 5:45 p.m.

1/12/12 Bethel University

Arden Hills MN Hostel fire, international

Students from Bethel University escaped a fire in a hostel in Brussels, Belgium. There were 28 students and several faculty members staying in the hostel when the fire broke out. According to media reports, three of the students had been left behind when the others escaped but ""woke up and noticed the fire and escaped without injury.

1/14/12 Unknown Duluth MN Off-campus Porch A deck fire damaged a house occupied by four college students. The fire spread quickly into the house and caused significant damage.

1/16/12 Suffolk University

Boston MA Off-campus Spontaneous combustion

A student woke to the sound of a fire alarm in her four story building, but did not immediately react because she thought that her roommate had burned food. When she heard the fire apparatus outside, she realized that she needed to evacuate. By this time the smoke had built up in the corridor and she was not able to escape. She called her roommate and asked what to do and was directed to the rear stairway. She attempted to get out but was overcome by smoke and had to be rescued by a

http://www.campus-firewatch.com/

mailto:[email protected]





s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

fire fighter. While the cause of the fire has not been determined at press time, the fire investigation report states that someone was doing some cleaning using linseed oil and put the rags away in the basement area where the fire started.

1/16/12 University of Maryland

College Park MD Academic, laboratory

Sprinkler Considerable damage was caused by an electrical fire in a laboratory. The fire was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system until it was extinguished by the fire fighters.

1/19/12 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas TX Medical A fire broke out between the 12th floor and the roof in a new building that was occupied and where construction was still being done. The fire occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m.

1/20/12 Casper College

Casper WY Residence hall

A heating unit's motor burned out, filling a first-floor residence hall room with smoke. Students were evacuated for approximately 20 minutes.

1/21/12 Marist College

Poughkeepsie

NY 3 Off-campus

Undetermined, possibly smoking materials

Two students and a former student were killed in an early-morning off-campus house fire. The victims were identified as

Eva Block, 21, senior, of Woodbridge,

Connecticut

Kerry Fitzsimons, 21, senior, Commack,

New York

Kevin Johnson, 21, New Cannan,

Connecticut. Kevin previously attended Marist.

1/21/12 Virginia Commonwealt

Richmond VA Off-campus Heatng A fire in an off-campus house occupied by three students was caused by a space heater in the







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

h University bedroom. Students were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm.

1/22/12 Boston University

Boston MA Off-campus A fire in a 2-1/2 story off-campus house hospitalized seven BU students. One of the students was forced to jump from a second story window and was hospitalized with critical injuries. The building was destroyed by the fire, which is under investigation. According to the Boston Fire Department, the call came in shortly after 7:00 a.m. and the building was fully involved with fire upon arrival. All of the occupants had escaped from the building and fire fighters did an exterior, defensive fire attack because of the extensive fire and damage that had occurred. The occupants were all members of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. This incident was featured in the documentary 9 Fires by the Minger Foundation www.mingerfoundation.org

1/22/12 University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst MA Dumpster Arson A 21-year-old UMass student was arrested and charged with setting a dumpster on fire at an off-campus apartment complex. The arrest follows a string of six dumpster fires that have been occurring in the neighborhood.

1/25/12 Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

VA Residence hall

Smoking A theme house was completely destroyed by a fire. The building, which is owned by Hampden-Sydney College and was home to nine students, is called the Tiger Athletic Club (TAC). The fire originated in a couch on a porch and during the evening spread into the building. The first call came into the fire department at 4:12. a.m. The



http://www.mingerfoundation.org/





s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

building's smoke alarms were activated and alerted the occupants to evacuate. Two students were injured, one seriously, with second and third degree burns on his body. This student was injured when he went back into the building to attempt to rescue another student who was able to escape the fire by himself.

1/29/12 Alma College Alma MI Greek, fraternity,

Tau Kappa Epsilon

Smoking A fire that is believed to have started from careless disposal of smoking materials destroyed the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. The fire broke out in the university-owned building at approximately 2:15 a.m. All 11 students were able to get out of the building safely.

1/29/12 University of Wisconsin La Crosse

La Crosse WI Residence hall

couch Arson A fire that originated in the basement lounge of a residence hall has displaced 271 students for the entire semester. The fire, which is considered suspicious, started in a couch at approximately 4:23 a.m. According to fire officials, all students were out of the building when the first units arrived on the scene. One student was hospitalized following the fire which caused extensive damage to the building's electrical system.

2/2/12 Portland State University

Portland OR Residence hall

Sprinkler Smoking A fire in a 10-story residence hall's trash chute was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. About 300 students were evacuated from the building shortly after 2:00 a.m. but were allowed back in by approximately 4:00 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

2/4/12 Dartmouth Hanover NH Greek, A fire caused by a ceiling fan broke out in the







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

College sorority, Epsilon Kappa Theta

Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority at approximately 5:44 p.m. In an interview with Campus Firewatch, Hanover Fire Chief Roger Bradley reported that a resident woke up and smelled smoke and activated the building's fire alarm system which sent a signal to college security and to the fire department. Units were already on campus, having responded to another alarm, and were quickly on the scene. The fire, which was in the void space between floors, was quickly extinguished. The building is equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system but the fire did not get large enough to activate it. Three of the 23 occupants had to be given temporary lodging due to the damage to their rooms.

2/5/12 Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls TX Off-campus A fire that started in a fire place flue destroyed seven apartments and damaged five more, displacing 11 people, a number of them students from Midwestern State University. The fire broke out at approximately 9:15 p.m. and spread into the attic space.

2/6/12 Arizona State University

Tempe AZ Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire in a residence hall broke out in a trash can. In an interview with Campus Firewatch, Tempe PIO Mark Reichling reported that fire crews had responded to the building on a report of a burning odor. As they were investigating they came across smoke on the 6th floor. As they entered the room, the inrush of oxygen caused the fire to flare up which activated the room's automatic fire sprinkler. Students were able to reoccupy the building within several hours.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

2/9/12 University of Pikeville

Pikeville KY Off-campus A fire destroyed the off-campus home of a student. No other details are available.

2/9/12 University of West Florida

Pensacola FL Support – athletics

A small fire broke out in the laundry room of a gym building at approximately 11:00 a.m. It was quickly extinguished by fire fighters.

2/10/12 SUNY Canton Canton NY Academic, laboratory

A fire caused significant damage in a laboratory and resulted in the entire campus being closed for over a week as air sampling was done throughout the campus. Nearby St. Lawrence University is providing laboratory space for SUNY students to use. There was no one in the lab at the time of the fire. The building in which the fire occurred is connected to two other buildings which may also have been damaged by smoke. The fire is under investigation at this time.

2/11/12 Creighton University

Omaha NE Off-campus A fire in an off-campus house has destroyed the home of three students. No one was injured. The cause of the fire has not been determined at this point.

2/12/12 St. Bonaventure University

Bonaventure NY Residence hall

Arson Arson Two fires in a residence hall are believed to be arson. It started when someone put flammable liquids in two microwave ovens on first and second floor lounges and turned them on. Fire broke out in one and smoke was generated in the second. An alarm was activated at 6:11 a.m. Approximately 300 students had to be evacuated.

2/12/12 University of Hawaii

Manoa HI Administration

A fire in a building that housed financial records for the University of Hawaii system destroyed the building. The fire broke out at approximately 8:00 a.m. and was detected when a security officer was making routine rounds. It was







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

reported that the building's smoke alarm system was "in testing mode." Paper records were destroyed in the fire but, according to the University, a number of other records involving payroll and student loans were either stored in another location or were electronically stored elsewhere and can be reconstructed. The cause of the fire is reported to be an electrical malfunction.

2/12/12 Winona State University

Winona MN Off-campus Three students were displaced by a fire that broke out in their off-campus house at approximately 2:00 p.m. No one was home at the time of the fire which destroyed most of the second story.

2/13/12 Casper College

Casper WY Administration

Arson A fire involving rolls of toilet paper broke out in a restroom at an administration building. No injuries were reported.

3/6/12 Lycoming College

Williamsport PA Support A fire destroyed the general services building at about 9:00 p.m. The fire is not considered suspicious and caused an estimated $1 million in damages in the one-story, 10,000 square foot structure.

3/8/12 University of California Berkeley

Berkeley CA Off-campus A fire broke out in an off-campus apartment building at approximately 4:15 a.m. The fire caused significant damage to the building.

3/12/12 Bloomfield College

Bloomfield NJ Residence hall

A fire in a college-owned, converted single-family home, displaced eight students. The fire was reported at approximately 1:30 a.m. A student who discovered the fire alerted the resident assistant, who in turn notified the college's Public Safety Department who in turn notified the fire department. Prior to the fire department arriving, an occupant attempted to







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

put out the fire using a fire extinguisher. The damage was confined to the back deck and basement.

3/13/12 Ohio State University

Columbus OH Off-campus A fire in an off-campus house displaced 12 residents, some of which were students.

3/13/12 Old Dominion University

Norfolk VA Off-campus Electrical A fire in an off campus house was started by an electrical problem with a water heater. Four students who lived in the house were displaced for the night.

3/15/12 University of North Florida

Jacksonville FL Residence hall

Arson A fire in an elevator was determined to be arson.

3/16/12 Colorado State University

Fort Collins CO Residence Hall

Arson A fire in a residence hall caused $10,000 in damages and is being considered suspicious. The fire broke out in the Ingersoll Residence Hall and was confined to a closet. Smoke and water damaged eight adjacent rooms. The students were allowed back into their rooms by the end of the day.

3/17/12 Colorado State University

Fort Collins CO Off-campus Porch Smoking A fire in an off-campus apartment building caused significant damage. The cause of the fire was careless disposal of smoking materials on a balcony on the east side of the building. About 30 occupants were displaced during the fire and were sheltered in a nearby Catholic university center.

3/18/12 Unknown Bryan TX Off-campus Five college students were displaced when a fire destroyed their off-campus house. The fire broke out at approximately 4:30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.

3/19/12 Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs

NC Support, dining

A fire in an industrial dishwasher broke out in the cafeteria. Workers were able to contain the fire until the fire department arrived to extinguish it. The fire damage was limited to the machine







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

itself.

3/20/12 West Virginia University

Morgantown WV Riot Three WVU students have been charged with malicious burning. These charges were filed following a series of 35 street fires. Morgantown has an unfortunate history of street, couch and dumpster fires and has attempted to curb the behavior. If convicted, each individual could be fined up to $1,000.

3/21/12 Paul Smith’s College

Brighton NY Residence hall

A fire in a residence hall caused minor damage. The fire was detected by a carbon monoxide detector alarm at 12:30 a.m. and when the campus officers responded they found a small fire outside one of the first floor windows. They were able to extinguish the fire using fire extinguishers.

3/22/12 Amarillo College West Campus

Amarillo TX Academic Electrical A fire in a storage room caused $300,000 in damage to a classroom building. The fire was caused by a malfunction in a motorcycle battery charger. The building will be closed for a week

3/22/12 Indiana State University

Terre Haute IN Support, dining

A fire broke out in a dryer in a dining commons. A manager tried to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher, but when it reignited, he then called the fire department. The fire was extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire department.

3/22/12 Michigan State University

East Lansing MI Riot A series of couch and garbage fires broke out after Michigan State University's loss to Louisville in the basketball West Regional semifinals. One person was arrested.

3/24/12 Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston SC Hospital Sprinkler A fire that broke out in an office on the eighth floor of the Medical University of South Carolina was brought under control by the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. About 30







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

patients had to be relocated to other areas of the hospital but were going to be able to return the next day.

3/24/12 Texas Bible College

Lufkin TX Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment complex injured one person. The building was fully involved when the fire department arrived on the scene and they were forced to do a defensive fire attack. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

3/26/12 Unknown Black Hawk SD Off-campus A fire in an off-campus house occupied by three students was damaged by a fire that broke out at 7:30 a.m. No one was injured.

3/26/12 Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo MI Off-campus A fire broke out at approximately 2:00 p.m. and heavily damaged the rear of an apartment building. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

3/28/12 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign IL Off-campus Smoking A fire in an off-campus apartment was started by careless disposal of smoking materials on a first-story apartment. The fire spread up the exterior of the building and then into the interior. One couple, while evacuating, left the door to their apartment open, hoping that their cats would run out. The fire extended up the exterior of the building and into this apartment. The building was destroyed by the fire at an estimated cost of $1 million.

3/29/12 Dickinson State University

Dickinson ND Residence hall

Cooking A fire in a university-owned apartment building was extinguished by a resident assistant. A grease fire broke out at approximately 9:45 a.m. and left the cooking unattended. The smoke alarms were activated and the RA stepped out into the hallway she saw the smoke and was informed that there was a fire in the apartment.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

She then used the fire extinguisher and extinguished the fire as well as calling the fire department. She had received training from the Dickinson Fire Department in how to use a fire extinguisher.

3/31/12 Bryant University

Smithfield RI Residence hall

A fire broke out in a common room at 2:30 a.m. Everyone was able to escape safely but students were not allowed back into the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

3/31/12 University of Kentucky

Louisville KY Riot Following the University of Kentucky's victory in the NCAA basketball Final Four, students swarmed out onto the streets and proceeded to turn over cars and burn couches. Approximately 150 police officers were deployed and used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. There were 13 arrests, several of them for arson. The riot was caught in real-time through Twitter postings by the Lexington Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 526 and the Lexington Herald-Leader.

4/1/12 Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge LA Residence hall

Sprinkler Cooking A fire broke out in a kitchen in a university-owned apartment. The students had left the pot on the stove unattended and when it caught fire. They tried to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful and the building's automatic fire sprinkler system was activated, which put out the fire.

4/2/12 Binghamton University

Binghamton NY Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment displaced five BU students and a family of seven. The fire was caused by materials being too close to a stove. It is unclear in which apartment the fire started.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

4/2/12 Ohio University

Athens OH Residence hall

Arson A former student was indicted on charges relating to setting a chair on fire in a residence hall on June 3, 2011. Nathan Cencula, 21, pled guilty to arson and was sentenced to 14 days in jail and four years of community control probation and $46,609 in restitution to the university.

4/3/12 Arizona State University

Tempe AZ Academic Sprinkler A fire was caused by a laptop that was being charged while inside of a backpack. It is believed the computer overheated, igniting the bag. The fire was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system.

4/3/12 University of Colorado

Boulder CO Academic Arson Two arson fires were started during spring break. One was found at 5:45 a.m. by a custodial crew where a burned newspaper was found inside of a building. The other fire occurred on the outside of a building and was extinguished with a fire extinguisher. Both fires caused minor damage.

4/5/12 Colby College Waterville ME Residence hall

Sprinkler Candle An unattended candle was the cause of a fire in a residence hall. The candle burned down and ignited nearby combustibles on fire. The fire was brought under control by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system.

4/9/12 Purdue University

West Lafayette

IN Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment trapped one student. The fire broke out in the afternoon and the student was alerted by a smoke alarm. When she opened the door to her bedroom there was too much smoke and she almost jumped from her third story apartment when fire fighters placed a ladder to the window and rescued her.

4/10/12 Oklahoma Stillwater OK Off-campus A fire in an upstairs duplex of an off-campus







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

State University

house was contained to the bedroom. The fire broke out at approximately 11:30 a.m. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

4/13/12 Western Carolina University

Cullowhee NC Residence Hall

A fire broke out in the basement of a residence hall between 8:45 and 9:00 a.m. A worker was cutting rebar in the area which may have been the cause of the fire.

4/14/12 Springfield Technical Community College

Springfield MA Academic Smoking A fire broke out on the roof of a classroom building early in the morning. It is believed that the cause of the fire was careless disposal of smoking materials.

4/17/12 Michigan State University

East Lansing MI Residence hall

Smoking A student disposed of the ashes from his pipe in the trash, which caught fire. He then removed the trash bag from the can, rushed it outside and put it in the dumpster. There was no damage to the apartment or the dumpster.

4/19/12 University of Scranton

Scranton PA Off-campus Cooking A grease fire was extinguished by students using a fire extinguisher. One resident had minor leg burns from a grease splatter and was treated on the scene. There was no damage to the apartment.

4/19/12 University of Southern Maine

Gorham ME Off-campus Electrical A fire in a bathroom fan damaged the upper floors of a three-story apartment building. Six students were displaced by the fire.

4/19/12 University of Texas Austin

Austin TX Academic-classroom

An elevator motor overheated and caught fire. The damage was limited to the motor.

4/23/12 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville IL 2 Off-campus

Fatal On Sunday, April 22, a fire broke out in an off-campus house, killing two students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Lacy Siddall, 21, and Lauren Peterson, 19 of Bethalto, Illinois. According to Edwardsville Fire Chief Rick Welle, the two-story, wood frame building was a single-family home that







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

had been converted into two apartments, one on each floor. There were two students living upstairs and the tenant on the ground floor was in the process of moving out at the time of the fire. At approximately 3:42 a.m., a neighbor heard breaking glass and saw the fire coming from the second floor. When fire fighters arrived on the scene they report that there was moderate smoke coming from the second floor. They were able to make rapid entry into the building and quickly found the two victims on the second floor. It appeared that they were trying to escape from the fire when they were overcome. Both victims were removed from the building and advanced life support was immediately started on the fire ground. They were transported to a local hospital and then flown to St. Luke’s hospital in St. Louis for more advanced care. Both died from their injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but is believed to be electrical. The initial investigation was considering a laptop that was plugged in and charging as a possible ignition source, but is has subsequently been ruled out. The area of origin was one of the bedrooms on the second floor, but not the bedroom where the







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

victims were found. The building was not equipped with residential sprinklers. There were two single-station, battery operated smoke alarms present, one in each bedroom on the second floor. However, one smoke alarm did not have a battery in it and the other one had a battery that had expired over a year ago. Fire fighters reported that they did not hear smoke alarms sounding when they arrived on the fire scene.


Lexington KY Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment broke out at approximately 9:00 a.m. The fire caused little damage but was believed to be suspicious.

4/27/12 Westfield State University

Westfield MA Off-campus Porch A fire in an off-campus house started on the porch on the second floor and is believed to have started in rubbish on the second floor. The fire damaged the second and third floor porches and had begun to extend into the house when fire fighters arrived.

4/28/12 Ball State University

Muncie IN Residence Hall

A fire in a laundry facility at a university-owned apartment complex. The fire was contained to the dryer and ventilation system.


Athens OH Off-campus An off-campus house caught fire during the Palmer Fest celebration. When fire fighters and police officers arrived on the scene, party goers began throwing bottles at them. The mayor declared the area a riot area at 7:35 p.m. and the crowd was dispersed by 8:20 p.m. Twenty-one people were arrested and most of the charges were alcohol-related.

5/1/12 Drexel Philadelphia PA Residence Sprinkler Electrical A fire in a light fixture was brought under control







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

University hall by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. However, the subsequent water damage has forced the relocation of 90 students.


College Park MD Off-campus Electrical A fire in an off-campus house broke out at 11:00 p.m., displacing five students the evening before final exams started. The fire, which caused $13,000 in damage, was believed to have been started by a malfunction in a light fixture in the basement bedroom.

5/14/12 Georgetown University

Washington DC Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire in a kitchen on the third floor of Copley Hall was extinguished by the building's automatic fire sprinkler system.

5/18/12 University of Massachusetts Lowell

Lowell MA Academic A fire in an engineering building took three alarms to bring it under control. The fire broke out on the top floor of the building at approximately 8:30 a.m. There was only one student in the area at the time because classes had already ended for the semester.

5/19/12 Louisiana Tech University

Ruston LA Greek, fraternity, Pi Kappa

Alpha

A fire that started in the vicinity of the chimney destroyed the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. There were six people living in the house at the time of the fire and no one was injured. The local police department received a call at 4:30 p.m. about a fire but, upon arrival, were told it was under control. However, as police officers were evacuating the building, the fire grew and eventually the roof collapsed. Media reports state that students were burning class notes in the fireplace shortly before the fire broke out.

5/22/12 University of Tennessee

Knoxville TN Residence hall

A fire in a microwave forced the evacuation of a residence hall that was being used to house students and parents for a summer camp.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

There were no injuries.

5/27/12 University of Missouri

Columbia MO Off-campus Construction A fire in an off-campus apartment complex that was opening in the fall heavily damaged the complex. All 72 apartments had been rented. The owners report that 40% of the apartments will be ready by August with the remainder opening in October

6/3/12 Unknown Mesa AZ Off-campus A house occupied by five college students was destroyed in a fire that broke out at approximately 4:45 p.m. The fire started in the attic area but quickly spread throughout the house.

6/13/12 Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant

MI Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire in a residence hall housing students for freshman orientation broke out in a kitchen. The fire was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system.

6/16/12 University of Wisconsin La Crosse

La Crosse WI Academic A fire broke out in the basement of an academic building at approximately 10:15 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

6/27/12 University of Bridgeport

Bridgeport CT Support, dining

A fire broke out in ductwork in a dining hall during renovations. It was determined that there was grease in the ductwork that was ignited by a worker using a torch.

6/28/12 Western Illinois University

Macomb IL Academic A fire broke out in a mechanical room in an academic building. The fire originated in a chiller unit. Classes had to be relocated while the damage was cleaned up.

7/8/12 Heritage University

Yakima WA Academic A fire in a building that housed classrooms, a cafeteria, bookstore and computer labs was destroyed in a fire. While the exact cause of the fire could not be determined, the area of origin was the attic over the kitchen. The fire knocked out the university's telephone and computer







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

systems. Damage is estimated at $2.8 million.

7/14/12 North Carolina State University

Raleigh NC Academic Sprinkler A fire in an engineering building broke out at approximately 4:00 p.m. in a room filled with electrical equipment. The building's automatic fire sprinkler system extinguished the fire.

7/14/12 Stanford University

Palo Alto CA Off-campus Sprinkler A student moving into an off-campus house started a fire by leaving a box on top of a stove. The stove was accidentally turned on, which ignited the box. The fire was controlled by the activation of two automatic fire sprinkler heads. There were no injuries.

7/15/12 Iowa State University

Ames IA Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment started in a parking area below the apartments and spread into the building and attic. Approximately 100 people, many students, were displaced by the fire. Iowa State University provided temporary housing for the students in a residence hall.

7/16/12 St. Louis University

St. Louis MO Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment complex displaced a number of students from SLU. The fire was reported to have started in a penthouse unit on the fourth floor shortly after 7:00 p.m. According to the media, some students were reporting that the fire alarm and sprinkler system did not work. These charges, and the fire, are under investigation by the fire department.

7/20/12 Washington University

Clayton MO Residence Hall

A fire stat started outside of the building by construction work spread into the building and was quickly contained. The building was not occupied at the time and the fire caused minimal damage.

8/1/12 West Chester University

West Chester PA Residence Hall

A fire broke out in mulch outside of a residence hall. The fire spread into the building, causing







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

approximately $35,000 in damage.

8/2/12 Ohio State University

Columbus OH Off-campus Dumpster Arson From July 10 to August 2, a series of fires in dumpsters and in couches have broken out around campus in off-campus apartment complexes.

8/3/12 San Francisco University

San Francisco CA Administration

A fire in the Old Administration Building broke out at approximately 4:30 p.m. It was caused when materials on the roof, which was under repair, were ignited.

8/6/12 Brown University

Providence RI Academic, library

A fire in a computer room damaged some computer equipment shortly after 8:30 p.m. The fire has been determined to be accidental.

8/12/12 Truman State University

Kirksville MO Off-campus Electrical A fire broke out in an off-campus rented home. The fire was determined to have been caused when an electrical circuit was overloaded with too many appliances. Six students were displaced by the fire.

8/21/12 University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia PA Off-campus A fire broke out in an off-campus apartment complex with 50 apartments that housed a number of students from the University of Pennsylvania. Students were allowed back in by approximately 3:30 in the morning.

8/22/12 University of Kansas

Lawrence KS Greek, fraternity, Sigma Chi

A fire caused $150,000 in damage to the Sigma Chi fraternity. The fire was related to construction and was confined to the roof. It was reported that 80 students were displaced by the fire.

8/24/12 Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights

KY Academic, library

A fire broke out in the tunnels beneath the university library. It was caused by a malfunctioning paper shredder and caused forced the evacuation of the library.

8/25/12 University of Wisconsin

Platteville WI Off-campus An off-campus apartment was destroyed in a fire, displacing a dozen students.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

Platteville

8/27/12 Southern Methodist University

Dallas TX Off-campus A fire in an off-campus condominium complex destroyed an entire building containing four units. Several SMU students were reported to live in the condo where the fire started, but were not home at the time of the fire. (1700)

8/28/12 University of South Dakota

Vermillion SD Off-campus An off-campus house occupied by three students was destroyed in a fire. There were no injuries and no one was in the house at the time of the fire.

8/29/12 Ball State University

Muncie IN Residence hall

A small fire broke out in a dryer in a residence hall at approximately 8:30 p.m.


Gorham ME Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire in a recycling closet was controlled by the activation of an automatic fire sprinkler head inside of the closet at 2:37 a.m. There was no damage outside of the closet and the students were able to reoccupy the building.

9/4/12 Suffolk University

Boston MA Off-campus A fire in an off-campus apartment building that housed several students severely injured a woman (unknown if she is a student). Thirteen people were displaced by the fire.

9/7/12 Cornell College

Mount Vernon IA Academic Lightning Lightning is the cause of a fire that damaged a classroom building. It destroyed a cupola on top of the building and caused damage to the attic.

9/7/12 University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks AK Support-power plant

A coal dust fire inside of a concrete wall forced fire fighters to peel back a portion of the roof and dump water into the wall.

9/8/12 William Paterson University

Wayne NJ Residence hall

Electrical A storm caused an electrical fire in a residence hall basement and forced evacuation of the building which houses 228 freshmen.

9/9/12 University of Illinois

Champaign IL Residence hall

A fire broke out in a university owned apartment. Flames were seen coming from a







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

Urbana/Champaign

window air conditioning unit on the third floor.

9/10/12 Concordia College

Moorhead MN Residence hall

Smoking A fire broke out on a deck of a university-owned apartment building and was caused by careless disposal of smoking materials. It caused an estimated $1,000 in damage.

9/10/12 Mt. Sierra College

Monrovia CA Academic A fire in an air conditioning unit in a classroom caused $15,000 in damage. The fire was in a rooftop AC unit and caused extensive damage to the unit and spread to the roof area.

9/13/12 University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst MA Off-campus A fire broke out in an off-campus apartment basement and caused extensive damage. The cause of the fire was not determined.

9/19/12 Missouri State University

Springfield MO Academic-laboratory

A fire broke caused by a chemical reaction broke out in a laboratory. The heat of the fire caused a solder joint in a water line to melt and spray water.

9/22/12 Salem State University

Salem MA Residence hall

Sprinkler Arson Decorations on a residence hall door were set on fire and forced the evacuation of the 450-student building. The fire was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. A fire alarm was activated earlier in the evening.

9/22/12 University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia PA Residence hall

Sprinkler Cooking A fire broke out in a kitchen in a residence hall and was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. The fire started when an occupant turned on the stove and a nearby toaster caught on fire.

9/23/12 Bloomfield College

Bloomfield NJ Residence hall

A fire broke out in a three-story residence hall and was contained to the room of origin. Cause of the fire is unknown.

9/24/12 University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa AL Support, dining

A grease fire in a dining facility was limited to the stove area, but forced the evacuation of the







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

building.

9/24/12 University of Central Florida

Orlando FL Off-campus A fire that may have started in a clothes dryer broke out and forced one person to have to jump to safety.

9/24/12 University of Florida

Gainesville FL Residence hall

A stove fire in a residence hall forced the evacuation of the building which housed 787 students. A student was evacuating the building when he decided to go back up to fight it. He turned around in the stairwell and worked his way up against the flow of students. When he got to the seventh floor he discharged a fire extinguisher onto the fire, which did not put it out. He then used a second fire extinguisher to attempt to fight the fire when an RA pulled him out.

9/26/12 Randolph-Macon College

Ashland VA Greek, fraternity, Theta Chi

The Theta Chi fraternity was destroyed in a fire that broke out in the attic. All 14 students were able to escape successfully but lost all of their belongings.

9/26/12 St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College

Saint Benedict LA Administration

A fire in a room that housed computer servers and that was adjacent to a dormitory and business offices destroyed the equipment in the room. It is believed that the cause of the fire was faulty wiring in the 1950's-era building. Students were displaced from the dormitory due to the smoke damage as were the occupants of the business offices. Telephone and computer services were significantly disrupted by the fire.

9/27/12 San Diego College

San Diego VA Off-campus Cooking A student attempted to put out a stove-top fire using water and caused it to spread further. The fire caused approximately $50,000 in damage and rendered the unit uninhabitable.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

10/2/12 Virginia State University

Ettrick VA Off-campus Sprinkler A fire broke out in an apartment that was being used for storage and was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. A maintenance worker accidentally turned on a stove where boxes were being stored on top.

10/5/12 Arcadia University

Wyncote PA Off-campus A fire in a condominium complex displaced a large number of the residents, including students from Arcadia University.

10/11/12 Boise State University

Boise ID Various Arson A series of fires in trash cans and vehicles that were set on fire appear to be the result of arson.

10/13/12 University of Vermont

Burlington VT Residence hall

Sprinkler Arson A fire was set in a residence hall by a student who claimed he was drunk and under the influence of muscle relaxants. He told investigators that he doused a pile of trash with rubbing alcohol and set it on fire. The fire was controlled by the activation of the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system.

10/18/12 Indiana State University

Terre Haute IN Residence hall

Approximately 40 students were displaced by a fire in a university-owned apartment building that houses upperclassmen, graduate students, families and staff members. The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the building.

10/20/12 University of Akron

Akron OH Academic, laboratory

A fire in a laboratory hood broke out in the College of Arts and Sciences Building. Five people were transported to the hospital as a precaution.


College Park MD Off-campus Cooking Four students were displaced by a kitchen fire in an off-campus apartment complex. It was caused by unattended cooking.

10/24/12 University of Michigan-Flint

Flint MI Residence hall

Sprinkler Cooking A fire was started by someone cooking on a hotplate and was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system in







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

a high-rise residence hall.

10/25/12 Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene TX Residence hall

Cooking A fire broke out in an oven while a student was baking cookies. The fire was extinguished by the resident assistant.

10/26/12 Michigan Technological University

Houghton MI Academic, library

Sprinkler A fire broke out in the library archives, spreading smoke throughout the building. The cause of the fire was not announced and freezer trucks were brought in to save the damaged documents. The fire was controlled by the activation of the building’s automatic fire sprinkler system.

10/27/12 Bakersfield College

Bakersfield CA Administration

A trash can was set on fire in a men's room. The fire was initially controlled by a public safety officer using a fire extinguisher.

10/27/12 University of Dayton

Dayton OH Off-campus A fire broke out in the basement of a University of Dayton house during a Halloween party. The fire spread through the floor and up into the kitchen. It caused up to $10,000 in damage.

11/1/12 Florida State University

Tallahassee FL Academic, Laboratory

A fire broke out in the university's Nuclear Magnetic Laboratory in a high-voltage electrical panel. The fire broke out during routine maintenance and forced the evacuation of the building.


Gorham ME Residence hall

Arson A student was arrested and charged with setting three fires in a residence hall. One fire was set in a trash can and two posters were also set on fire.

11/2/12 California State College Los Angeles

Los Angeles CA Residence hall

Cooking Five women were burned, two critically. They were cooking fried food when the cooking oil ignited and flashed, splattering burning grease on the women.

11/3/12 St. Mary’s College

South Bend IN Academic A fire broke out at approximately 1:00 a.m. in the Moreau Center for the Arts. Damage was







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

contained to a storage room for set and costumes.


Tucson AZ Support, athletic

Sprinkler A fire broke out in an equipment room in the basketball arena. The fire was controlled by the building's automatic fire sprinkler system.

11/7/12 Mississippi State University

Mississippi State

MS Residence hall

Arson A student was arrested and charged with setting a fire in an elevator in a residence hall. The fire was reported to be a small fire


Lexington KY Residence hall

Arson Arson A series of arson fires were reported on October 27, November 1 and 6 in a residence hall.

11/8/12 Oregon State University

Corvallis OR Off-campus A fire in an off-campus house displaced three students. The fire, which broke out at about 9:00 p.m. started in the area of the garage.

11/9/12 St. Cloud University

St. Cloud MN Residence hall

Incense A fire that was caused by incense broke out in an unoccupied room in a residence hall at approximately 7:00 p.m. The fire caused $5,000 in damage.

11/9/12 University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

VA Residence hall

Sprinkler Cooking A fire in a residence hall was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. The fire was caused by an unattended coffee pot.

11/10/12 Chapman University

Orange CA Off-campus A fire broke out in an unofficial Greek house has displaced all of the students living in the building. The cause was not announced.

11/10/12 Kent State University

Kent OH Residence hall

A fire in a vacant, university-owned house, destroyed the building and it had to be demolished.

11/10/12 University of Wisconsin Platteville

Platteville WI Residence hall

A fire was started by a student making methamphetamine at approximately 1:00 a.m. The student was arrested. Students were allowed back in the building three hours later.

11/12/12 Haywood Community

Clyde NC Academic A saw mill used by the college was destroyed in a fire.







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

College


Tucson AZ Residence hall

Arson A couch was set on fire in a lounge in a residence hall and is the fourth arson fire reported since mid-October. A previous fire was also set in a lounge and was put out by a sprinkler head, another was a smoking microwave. Details on the fourth fire were not released.

11/14/12 College of St. Elizabeth

Florham Park NJ Residence hall

Arson A student was arrested for setting two fires in a bathroom in a residence hall. The fire was quickly controlled before any significant damage could be done.

11/17/12 Rutgers - Camden

Camden NJ Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire in the laundry room of Camden Towers force the evacuation of approximately 100 students and was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. The fire broke out at 4:00 p.m. and was brought under control in 45 minutes. The building houses 500 students but many had gone home for the weekend.

11/23/12 Unknown Jersey City NJ Off-campus A fire in an off-campus house broke out at approximately 7:11 a.m., displacing three students. The fire was started by a space heater placed too close to a combustible object on the first floor which was occupied by the students. Someone attempted to put out the fire themselves and it is believed this fanned the fire and spread it quicker. The building was destroyed.

11/24/12 Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg MA Off-campus An off-campus fire destroyed an apartment building. No further details are available

11/27/12 Lehigh Bethlehem PA Off-campus A fire broke out in an off-campus house and







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

University burned one student and injured a fire fighter. The happened at approximately 2:00 a.m. at 447 Montclair Avenue in the living room and spread to the porch. All five students escaped. It is reported that the student's injuries were not life threatening and that the fire fighter injured his back. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

11/29/12 Marshall University

Huntington WV Off-campus Electrical A fire in an off-campus apartment building broke out at approximately 1:42 p.m. The cause of the fire was determined to be wiring in the basement. The fire spread to the first floor and caused extensive damage.

11/29/12 Shenandoah University

Winchester VA Residence hall

Arson An arson fire in a residence hall forced the evacuation of 200 students. The fire started on a third-floor bulletin board at approximately 12:45 a.m. The fire was extinguished by a resident assistant using a fire extinguisher.

11/29/12 University of North Alabama

Florence AL Off-campus A fire in an off-campus house broke out at approximately 7:00 a.m. The fire started in the basement and spread to the rest of the building, damaging six apartments. One of the occupants was awakened by someone ringing her doorbell. The cause is under investigation.


Athens OH Academic Arson An arson fire broke out in the Research and Technology Building at approximately 12;20 a.m. There was extensive damage to the roof.

12/1/12 Grand Valley State University

Allendale MI A fire broke out at approximately 12:45 p.m. in a residence hall. The top floor of the building was reported to be full of smoke. Clothes on top of a stove caused the fire.

12/1/12 University of Nebraska

Lincoln NE Residence hall

A fire in a residence hall in a trash compactor in the basement broke out at approximately 11:30







s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

Lincoln p.m.

12/1/12 Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo MI Off-campus A fire broke out in an off-campus house at approximately 1:00 p.m. The fire started in the kitchen area and spread quickly to the house, destroying it. Five students lived in the house and two were home at the time of the fire and were able to escape safely.

12/3/12 Angelo State University

San Angelo TX Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire broke out in a residence hall's laundry room at approximately 9:13 p.m. The fire was extinguished by activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system.

12/4/12 US Air Force Academy

Colorado Springs

CO Residence hall

Arson Arson Two fires were set in a residence hall. An off-base contractor was arrested and charged with setting the fires.

12/5/12 California Polytechnic State University

San Luis Obispo

CA Off-campus A fire broke out in an apartment building, displacing more than a dozen students. Because of the damage to the electrical system, the building is uninhabitable. The fire broke out during finals week.

12/5/12 Florida Southern College

Lakeland FL Residence hall

Sprinkler A fire in a trash chute in a residence hall was controlled by the activation of the building's automatic fire sprinkler system. Damage was reported to be minimal. This fire is similar to one which happened at Portland State University in January 2012 which was profiled in the documentary 9 Fires and is available at www.mingerfoundation.org/9-fires.

12/7/12 Atlantic Union College

Lancaster MA Unknown Roofers repairing a roof accidentally set it on fire at approximately 11:25 a.m. The fire spread to inside of a wall and filled the building with smoke. The fire damage was confined to the wall.



http://www.mingerfoundation.org/9-fires





s Occupanc

y Keyword

s Cause

Synopsis

12/8/12 Tarrant County College

Hurst TX Academic A fire broke out in the studio of the Radio and Television Broadcasting building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

12/17/12 University of Maine - Orono

Orono ME Dumpster A student was charged with arson after he allegedly set fire to a trash dumpster outside of Oxford Hall.



campus-related incidents 2012 chronological...campus-related incidents 2012 chronological campus...

Documents