Whitney Hall Fire Displaces 31 Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2005
Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Whitney Hall Fire Displaces 31 Students
The 9th Floor B Wing of Whitney Hall will be closed for the remainder of the spring 2005 term due to the fire that took place yesterday, April 13, at the residence hall on the California State University, Chico campus.
The 31 residents of B Wing have all been accommodated for the rest of the semester in student housing in other rooms in Whitney or other residence halls, said David Stephen, director of University Housing and Food Service.
No injuries involving students were reported as a result of the fire. One Chico Fire Department firefighter cut his hand and left the scene for treatment. All 490 residents of Whitney were safely evacuated and accounted for after a fire alarm sounded at approximately 8:35 p.m. At 1 a.m., Phil Porto, assistant state fire marshal, approved the building for occupancy with the exception of the 9th Floor B Wing.
The cause of the fire was the accidental use of an open-flame device - a candle - in room 929, according to Porto. He said he has filed a misdemeanor complaint against the room’s resident, freshman Maddie Brumbaugh, and will present that to the Butte County District Attorney for review.
Chico Fire Department had the fire contained in approximately 30 minutes. Room 929 was severely damaged and the other nearby rooms sustained smoke damage. There is no damage estimate yet for the structure or contents.
Yesterday’s fire was the most significant in the 36-year history of Whitney Hall, the tallest building in Butte County. The only other residence-hall fire in recent years was a smaller blaze in Shasta Hall in 1972.