Victoria Bresnahan—News Editor & Hunter O. Lyle—Sports Editor
Due to a fire that occurred in a West Campus Residence Complex suite, three students were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation early this morning.
University Police and New Haven Fire Department responded to the fire alarm at 2 a.m. and found that the sprinkler system had already extinguished the flames by the time of arrival, according to a campus safety update email. The fire allegedly started in the second-floor suite due to a discarded cigarette.
“The suite and several neighboring suites sustained smoke and water damage,” according to the email statement. “Students from those suites are being temporarily housed in a neighboring residence hall.”
Students were allowed back into the building around 5 a.m.
Luke Beesley, a senior and resident of the suite adjacent to the room in which the fire occurred, said he was still awake when the alarm went off.
“I didn’t know where it was coming from. I got up to check where it was coming from, and then the main fire alarm went off,” said Beesley. “So I got dressed, went out, and I just saw the smoke right when I walked out of my room, then I went outside.”
Beesley’s room sustained water damage from the suite’s sprinkler system. He said he is currently living in Neff Hall so his suite can be cleaned.
“At this point, they’re supposed to clean it this week and we should be able to get back in hopefully a couple [of] days.”
Photo Credit: Hunter O. Lyle
*More information and another byliner were added as an edit.