In Brief

Investigation shows cigarette started fire

An ongoing investigation confirmed that a Commons apartment fire last Saturday began either in a bush or in the bark mulch outside the building and quickly spread upward to inflame the building, Harrisonburg Fire Chief Larry Shifflett said Wednesday.

Shifflett said an investigation of burn patterns and eyewitness accounts have concluded that the fire began at ground level on the front left of the building, eventually moving to the right. He said the most logical explanation of what started the fire is a cigarette or other smoking material.

"The wind was a big contributing factor," Shifflett said, accounting for the size of the fire, which destroyed apartment 891's attic and caused $500,000 to $750,000 worth of damage to the building's three floors, leaving 48 students homeless. Shifflett said the highly flammable vinyl siding of the building was another factor in the rapid spread of the fire, as well as what accounted for the billowing black smoke that followed.

Shifflett said there is no evidence to indicate who may have caused the fire.
He applauded the efforts of students who helped pick up cars in the parking lot outside the apartment and moved heavy fire hoses.

Shifflett asked any students who have videotapes or photographs of the fire to contact the Harrisonburg Fire Department at 434-6452.

— by Lindsay Marti, news editor

Sunchase apt. fire causes $3,500 damage

Harrisonburg fire fighters responded to a kitchen fire Tuesday at 10:39 p.m. in a student apartment in the SunChase apartment complex, according to Harrisonburg Fire Department Chief Larry Shifflett.

Damage to apartment 1932B is estimated to be $3,500, according to Shifflett. Damage was contained to the stove and overhead cabinets.

A pot of unattended grease left on a stove overheated, causing the fire, according to Shifflett. Sprinklers extinguished the fire.

According to neighbor Michelle Gillespie, senior, residents were able to re-enter their apartment and it still was inhabitable after the fire.

As of press time, the party paying for the damages was unknown.

— James David, assistant news editor

Harrisonburg Transit marks 25 years Friday

The Harrsionburg Transit system will celebrate its 25th anniversary tomorrow. To commemorate the event, bus drivers will be handing out free gifts to students including cooler cups and letter openers, according to Mel Maher, assistant director for University Centers.

Presently, the bus system transports an average of 7,000 to 9,000 students a day, according to Reggie Smith, director of Harrisonburg Department of Transportation.

Maher said Harrisonburg Transit is a "unique service to our campus" because of its flexibility and friendly service over the years.

JMU began its affiliation with the company in 1983 when a contract was signed guaranteeing students free service.

— Caitlin Driscoll, contributing writer