Feb. 15--OLEAN--The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday continued to investigate a small arson Sunday morning in a residence hall on the St. Bonaventure University campus.
"We're grateful the damage was minor, and that's a tribute to those who responded so quickly," said Rick Trietley, vice provost for student life. "But this is an incident we are taking very seriously. Fire safety is of the utmost importance to us, and incidents like this will not be tolerated."
Trietley said university judicial charges, as well as criminal charges, will be brought if the perpetrator is a student, and expulsion is possible.
No one was injured as a result of the fires, caused when someone put flammable materials into two microwaves in different lounges of Devereux Hall.
Only one microwave ignited, destroying it and the table it was on. The fire also caused smoke damage to the walls of the lounge, deputies said.
A smoke detector triggered the alarm at 6:11 a.m. Sunday. University Safety and Security officers and area firefighters responded to the scene.
Students were evacuated to the Shay Hall lobby for approximately 90 minutes before being allowed to return.
A few students were relocated temporarily because of the lingering smell of smoke.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact University Safety and Security at 375-2525, or the Sheriff's Office at 938-9191.
Copyright 2012 - The Buffalo News, N.Y.
