Nashville, TN -- A dorm fire broke out at Fisk University just days before classes are set to resume. It started at New Livingstone Hall around 8:30 am Thursday. Firefighters say the blaze came at a fortunate time, considering the circumstances.
The all-male dormitory didn't have a sprinkler system. The university built the dorm before state law required one. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the blaze. Classes had not yet resumed and the fire did not break out in the middle of the night. Two students were rescued from the building.
Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Charles Shannon said, "The good thing is that somebody was able to call us and we were able to get here quite quickly."
Built in the 1970's, fire inspectors say the dorm did have a working alarm system and met all fire codes, but did not have a sprinkler system. Fire officials say that the building was grandfathered in with the sprinkler system, meaning that it simply wasn't required.
"[We] met the codes and one of those, it was built during a time where those were not required but they did have all the code that it needed and we were in compliance with that," said Fisk attorney Angela Curry.
Investigators say the fire originated in a second floor room at the south end of the dorm which had been occupied, but the student who had not yet returned for spring classes set to resume Monday.
"There was not a student in that room at the time. Again, we're just so thankful about that," said Curry.
Firefighters say that is fortunate for that student and for others, especially if the fire had erupted when the dorm was fully occupied in the wee hours of the night.
"If people are asleep and it takes a little while for them to gather themselves together, smoke will cause you to be somewhat disoriented. There's a lot of things that take place so certainly if there been more people here, the greater the risk," said Shannon.
Late Thursday afternoon, investigators said that incense burning over a trash can caused the fire. Fisk University administrators are helping clothe and house students displaced by the fire in other dorms on campus. Administrators say it will be at least a month before the damaged dorm can be used again.
