No students harmed in nighttime blaze
By Gray Chapman
On April 23, Spring House residents were interrupted by fire alarms ringing throughout the building, as a student’s car had caught on fire, causing smoke to rise over the back of the residence hall. Though no students were harmed, the car was severely damaged.
According to the security report, officials were alerted to the fire at 9 p.m. upon discovering smoke rising from the engine compartment.
Before SCAD security officials arrived, Coordinator of Student Services Marcus Mister had doused the area with one fire extinguisher and was beginning to use a second. According to the written report, “Supervisor Watson and Security Officer Wright responded from the main campus. Watson and Wright found two more [extinguishers] and together with Mister on his third extinguisher put out the fire.”
Robert Koker, SCAD-Atlanta security manager, said that their quick responses prevented the fire from becoming more harmful. “Marcus Mister, Supervisor Watson, and security officer Wright should receive credit for limiting the amount of damage that could have occurred,” he said.
The Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Fire Department were, according to Koker, notified at approximately 9:15 p.m. Fire Department officials knocked out the driver’s side window in order to
release the hood latch so they could extinguish the flames within the engine compartment.
Though the car, a red two-door Dodge, was adjacent to other vehicles, no harm was caused to the other cars in the lot.
Some students, however, were surprised at the startling emergency. “It was very unexpected. We were all pretty shocked,” said Chia Yu Hsu, a first-year graphic design student. Hsu is a resident of Spring House and was one of the many students who filed outside upon hearing the alarm.
Residents were allowed to re-enter the building at approximately 9:20; police and fire officials left shortly thereafter. No property damages were incurred.