The preliminary cause of a fire in a dorm building at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven that forced hundreds of students to evacuate early Tuesday morning appears to be a discarded cigarette, according to school officials.
Firefighters said there was a minor trash fire in a second floor apartment around 2:30 a.m. and the sprinkler system helped put it out.
When crews arrived, they said there was smoke showing, but no flames.
Nearly 350 students in the West Campus Residence Complex were evacuated. Three students were treated on scene for smoke inhalation, but refused to go to the hospital, according to school officials.
There is minor smoke and water damage to the second floor of the building. Firefighters covered belongings on the first floor with a tarp to help prevent damage, fire officials said.
School officials said the preliminary cause of the fire appears to be a discarded cigarette.
Residents were allowed back into the complex around 5 a.m. after being cleared by the state fire marshal, according to school officials. Students from the damaged suites are being housed in a neighboring residence hall.
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School spokesman Patrick Dilger released a statement about the fire on Tuesday morning.
"The West Campus Residence Complex was evacuated early this morning after University Police responding to a fire alarm found heavy smoke billowing from a second floor suite around 2 a.m. New Haven fire fighters found that the suite’s sprinkler system had doused the flames when they arrived soon after. The preliminary cause of the fire appears to be a discarded cigarette. All students left the building safely and three were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. Residents were allowed back into the complex around 5 a.m., after clearance by the state fire marshal. The suite and several neighboring suites sustained smoke and water damage. Students from those suites are being temporarily housed in a neighboring residence hall."
