Sept. 05--DURHAM -- The early morning fire at an off-campus apartment building Saturday was intentionally set, according to Durham police.
Chief Dave Kurz said investigators determined the fire started in two apartments at opposite ends of the building's first floor. There were no injuries but more than 35 people were displaced.
"Arson is a serious event, but when a fire occurs in a multiunit apartment building, that element of danger certainly is escalated by the number of people living in separate apartments in this facility," Kurz said Thursday.
He declined to comment on the ignition source or potential suspects. The case remains under investigation by local authorities and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
A passerby first reported the fire at 30 Park Court about 2:47 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters saw flames coming out of a first-floor window when they arrived a few minutes later.
The apartments where the fire started were not occupied at the time of the fire, Kurz said. Classes began on Tuesday and not everyone had moved in yet.
"It was really quite a dangerous situation because while several apartments were not occupied, most were," he added. "Officers were able to wake people up and get them out."
Park Court, off Main Street, is comprised of five buildings with multiple apartments on each floor. Kurz said there are at least 12 units in the building. Cleanup efforts were under way Thursday to allow students to move back in. The two apartments where the fire started won't be habitable for some time.
University of New Hampshire is assisting the displaced residents by providing access to meals in the dining hall, UNH spokeswoman Erika Mantz said. The university has also reached out to the property manager to see how else it can help.
The complex is managed by Campus Edge, which runs off-campus housing throughout the area. A phone message left with the company's receptionist Thursday was not returned.
A company representative said on Saturday that the students were "comfortably accommodated" but did not say where they were staying.
Copyright 2014 - Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H.
