2008 Woodie Awards
Arson Attempt
4 Wheeler Hall Fires
By: Caitlin Foyt
Issue date: 1/7/08 Section: Year in Review
Originally published Feb. 16
By Caitlin Foyt
Lifeline Editor
Fire officials are looking for suspects after a fire in Wheeler Hall on Feb. 14 caused approximately $15,000 to $20,000 in damage.
The fire, which started on a couch that officials believe was deliberately ignited, forced 342 students to evacuate the residence hall.
Damages to the residence hall were repaired by the end of February, said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management.
"Replacement (includes) 100 percent of the carpet in the corridor and study area on the seventh floor, approximately 30 percent of the sixth floor corridor and 100 percent of the first floor corridor," he said. "The ductwork connected to the study area will be cleaned; the walls will be repainted in the seventh floor study area."
Mount Pleasant Fire Department Chief Greg Walterhouse said the MPFD and CMU police are opening an investigation that could end with guilty persons facing a 10-year felony.
Notices of a possible reward for tips about the fire were posted in the Towers residence halls on Feb. 15.
Water causes
damages
Walterhouse said damage was limited and mostly resulted from smoke and water from the sprinkler system used to put out the fire leaking down onto the sixth floor.
Cal Seelye, assistant director of Residence Life, said 1,500 gallons of water spilled into six rooms on the seventh floor and one room on the sixth floor.
"Because it was a real fire, the sprinkler heads released over 100 gallons of water a minute (and) splashed for 15 minutes," he said.
Birch Run freshman Margaret England came back to a room that held two inches of water.
"My roommate had gotten there before me, so she had put a lot of stuff off the floor - some of my clothes got wet that were on the floor and some of my bedding," she said. "I don't know why someone feels the need to put people in danger like that."
By Caitlin Foyt
Lifeline Editor
Fire officials are looking for suspects after a fire in Wheeler Hall on Feb. 14 caused approximately $15,000 to $20,000 in damage.
The fire, which started on a couch that officials believe was deliberately ignited, forced 342 students to evacuate the residence hall.
Damages to the residence hall were repaired by the end of February, said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management.
"Replacement (includes) 100 percent of the carpet in the corridor and study area on the seventh floor, approximately 30 percent of the sixth floor corridor and 100 percent of the first floor corridor," he said. "The ductwork connected to the study area will be cleaned; the walls will be repainted in the seventh floor study area."
Mount Pleasant Fire Department Chief Greg Walterhouse said the MPFD and CMU police are opening an investigation that could end with guilty persons facing a 10-year felony.
Notices of a possible reward for tips about the fire were posted in the Towers residence halls on Feb. 15.
Water causes
damages
Walterhouse said damage was limited and mostly resulted from smoke and water from the sprinkler system used to put out the fire leaking down onto the sixth floor.
Cal Seelye, assistant director of Residence Life, said 1,500 gallons of water spilled into six rooms on the seventh floor and one room on the sixth floor.
"Because it was a real fire, the sprinkler heads released over 100 gallons of water a minute (and) splashed for 15 minutes," he said.
Birch Run freshman Margaret England came back to a room that held two inches of water.
"My roommate had gotten there before me, so she had put a lot of stuff off the floor - some of my clothes got wet that were on the floor and some of my bedding," she said. "I don't know why someone feels the need to put people in danger like that."
