Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Dean of Students and Director of Housing, Tina Fuchs, sent out an email relaying her gratitude towards our campus community last Thursday, Jan. 7, after a fire occurred in one of Western’s Alderview apartments.

Public Safety Officer Anthony Fitch was just getting back from handling a vehicle accident that had occured in Lot H when he was called to respond to a fire alarm in the Alderview apartments. “We get a lot of fire alarms,” Fitch said, “so my thought was ‘is this a fire or not’?” 

But after being waved down by a neighbor, he realized the situation was more serious. Running through the house to confirm that no one was still inside, he noticed that there was a pot of grease on the stove and that the stove had been charred.

“Before entering, I radioed our dispatcher so that she could call the Polk County Fire Department,” Fitch stated, adding that dispatch was a crucial part in aiding the investigation.

When the fire department came, onlookers began gathering, but as Fitch said, “we didn’t have to scoot anyone back … I think the rain deterred a lot of students from straying outside.”

The fire department turned off the sprinklers which were instrumental in the outcome of the incident. 

“We’re lucky we had the sprinkler system, because if not, there’s not telling how big (the fire) would have gotten and I don’t know how much I would have been able to do with my small fire extinguisher,” admitted Fitch. 

And, although he initially had a difficult time finding out who lived there, a lady and her son later came forward, who “have a place to stay and will be relocated to another unit soon,” said Fuchs in her email.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Kay Bruley