NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@alpha.nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

3/2/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - A small fire did damage to one room in Sabine Hall on the Northwestern State University campus Thursday evening.

According to NSU Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Dan Seymour, a fire broke out on the second floor of the South Wing of Sabine Hall just after 7 p.m. Thursday. Seymour said the Natchitoches Fire Department responded quickly and put out the fire before it spread. No one was injured by the fire or required medical attention because of smoke, stated Seymour. He said damage was limited to the mattress, bookcase, wall and ceiling of the room where the fire began.

Natchitoches Fire Chief Bob Hebert said the fire was accidental. According to Hebert, a student apparently left a candle burning on a headboard. The candle fell onto her bed and ignited the mattress.

Firefighters stayed on the scene until 9:30 p.m. and returned every two hours for the remainder of the night to check the scene.

"Both University Police and the Natchitoches Fire Department responded quickly and handled the situation well," said Seymour. "The house director and resident assistants also did a good job of working quickly and making sure the residents were aware of what was going on."

Students were able to return to their rooms after members of the Fire Department put out the fire and inspected the area for smoke or fumes. Director of Student Services Frances Conine said accommodations were provided in campus residence halls for any students who wanted to relocate for the night. She said students were out of their rooms for about two hours.

"The Natchitoches Fire Department did an outstanding job in responding promptly and handling the situation professionally," said Conine. "Safety was their first concern and they made sure all measures were taken to protect our students."

Sabine Hall is a 368-room residence hall that can accommodate up to 736 students. The residence hall is equipped with smoke detectors and fire alarms. The university regularly conducts fire drills and safety instruction for residents. The last fire drill was held in the building last week.

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