Oct. 16 fire in Tate Hall
Stefan Zedlacher
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Security
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According to Lynchburg Fire Marshal Greg Wormser, the fire started because the tapestry was very close to the lamp. The lamp caused the fabric to heat up enough to catch fire.
The response time by the Lynchburg Fire Department was about three minutes, but by the time they reached the room the flames were extinguished by LC Safety and Security, Wormser said. The fire department assisted in making sure smoke was cleared out of the building. Three fire engines, one ladder truck, one medic unit, a battalion chief and a rescue unit responded to the scene.
The residents of the dorm room, sophomores Marissa Thompson and Tara Ricciardelli, were not in the room at the time of the fire.
"We were both in class when it happened, and security came and pulled me out. We went back to the room and were shocked what had happened," Thompson said.
The damage was limited to a small section of carpet near the door into the room.
The fire was not caused by any direct fire code violations according to Wormser, but the residents are unsure if they will be assessed damage charges for the room.
"All we know is that things are still pending," Ricciardelli said.
The Hornet states that "halogen lamps (and other lamps deemed unsafe by the Office of Residence Life)" are banned, however the handbook gives no specifics in the fire hazards section about what types of other lamps might fall under this category. A separate decorations section in The Hornet states that "all decorative lights must be U.L. approved."
Wormser points out that many situations like this could be avoided if students follow recommendations set out by the fire department.
"We generally recommend three feet of clearance between any lamp and anything that could catch fire, as well as to turn any sort of appliance off whenever you leave the room," Wormser said.
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