A Boston University dorm fire has displaced 40 college students and injured one, according to the Boston Herald.
The fire broke out in the university’s dorms located at 722 Commonwealth Avenue on Saturday night during the school’s annual move-in weekend for students beginning the fall semester.
The fire caused approx 200,000 in damages. The building suffered water damage and had to be shut down. The @BU_Tweets will provide housing for the approx 40 residents. The FIU is investigating the cause of the fire. pic.twitter.com/PkvnDS2SUC
— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) September 2, 2018
“We look over into the window, which we then discovered was on our floor, and we can see the glare of inside of the building and a little bit of smoke rising from the window. At that point we realized, this is a pretty serious situation,” said Kai Hellberg, a BU junior.
One student injured
As shared by Boston fire officials, the Boston University dorm fire broke out around 10 p.m. on the third floor of the building. The fire was contained to one room, injuring an unidentified female student who was brought to the hospital after suffering from minor burns to her leg. Firefighters evacuated buildings on both sides of the dorm for added precautions.
The fire set off the sprinkler system causing water and smoke damage to the first three floors of the building. The 40 Boston University students were evacuated quickly and were faced with looking for a place to stay for the night.
Substantial damage
Boston University’s residence life staff is currently working to help students find temporary accommodations as the new semester begins. Students have yet to be told when they can return to their dorms due to the damage that is estimated to be around $200k.
It is unclear what caused the fire as investigators are still looking for answers.
