Spring fire hit S. Quad room

By Jenni Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter

ROB GILMORE/Daily Room 6710 of South Quad was scorched by a fire in late April. Students were forced to evacuate the residence hall, and an investigation was launched after learning two football players had a keg in their room.

A fire broke out in South Quad residence hall on April 20, destroying one room and keeping 1,200 residents out of their rooms for more than two hours.

The fire began in Room 6710, where Michigan football center Steve Frazier and tight end Aaron Shea live.

"The fire began on the sixth floor of Gomberg House," said Director of Housing Public Affairs Alan Levy. "It was started by an electrical wire connected to an alarm clock which shorted, setting off a spark and igniting a bean bag.

"The fire department broke into the room and contained the fire. Only the one room was heavily damaged," Levy said.

Officials are not sure if the fire was spontaneous or if it had been kindling for a while, Levy said.

The fire started around 7:15 p.m. and lasted no more than 10 minutes before it was extinguished, said Ann Arbor Fire Department Battalion Chief Ed Knieper.

"There is about $8,000 in damage, but it is hard to pin something down like that," Knieper said.

The previous night, Frazier and Shea allegedly hosted a party in their room, which may have involved alcohol.

Neither Frazier nor Shea are 21 years old and could not be reached for comment about the alleged party.

But a hallmate who wished to remain anonymous said there was a keg in the room. The keg was among the items that remained in the charred room.

"There was a keg in the room," the hallmate said. "There were a bunch of guys and girls in the room drinking. There were a bunch of people in he hallway drinking."

Frazier, an LSA sophomore who stood outside with about 600 other evacuated residents, said he was concerned about his belongings.

"I want to see if there's anything left," Frazier said.

Frazier had left his room about an hour before the fire began, and a friend informed him of the fire once it had started.

Frazier and Shea planned to stay with friends last night after their room was destroyed, Levy said.

"Fire alarms were pulled at two locations," Levy said. "The first alarm was pulled on the fifth floor around 7 p.m. by residents who smelled the smoke, and then a second alarm was pulled on the sixth floor."

South Quad second-floor resident Chithra Perumalswami, an LSA first-year student, said she and other students were evacuated from the building twice during the evening.

The alarm went off, students left the building and then re-entered the building, for about two minutes. A second alarm then sounded and students went back outside, Perumalswami said.

"At first, we thought it was the barbecue in the back. The second time, we saw the water," Perumalswami said.

At the time of the evacuation, about 600 students were in the residence hall, Levy said.

Many students went outside without coats, books or even shoes.

"Nobody thought the building was on fire," LSA junior Ciara Benson said.

Students were eventually allowed back into the building shortly after 9:30 p.m.

Some residents who were contacted last night said several of Frazier and Shea's hallmates attended the alleged party in Room 6710 on Saturday night.

"There were a lot of people in the hallway. There were 40 to 50 people," said a second hallmate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The hallmate said there were numerous cups left in the hallway and the resident adviser had warned the students to be quiet.

According to the University's policy for student-athletes, "unlawful possession, use, manufacture, sale or distribution of alcohol or other drugs" is prohibited on campus.

Disciplinary actions could include any of the following: "Verbal reprimand, verbal or written warning, suspension from practice or games, reduction or withdrawal of athletic-based financial aid, dismissal from team."

While Frazier and Shea's room was left in shambles after the fire, many students who were left homeless for a few hours expressed their discontent about having to stay outside as inspectors examined the room.

"We thought it was a regular fire drill," Benson said. "We all have to stay out here for four hours and we have finals tomorrow. Not everybody is going to be understanding."

09-03-97