CCSU Offers Support For Dorm Fire Victims: UPDATE

NEW BRITAIN, CT — Dozens of Central Connecticut State University students displaced following a blaze at a campus high-rise dormitory Monday evening are being taken care of, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

According to CCSU officials, the fire — believed to have been electrical — happened in James Hall at about 6 p.m. as the New Britain Fire Department rushed the New Britain campus.

All students were evacuated and are safe, according to a campus alert.

By 9 p.m., students were allowed to get back into the dorm to get their belongings, with those especially impacted on the first floor having to go to a nearby hotel, CCSU officials said.

Meanwhile, students on the second through sixth floor of the dorm had the option to go to a hotel, but they were, if they desired, able to return to their dorms, according to CCSU.

Monday afternoon, CCSU officials confirmed 60 students were displaced due to the fire.

CCSU said the blaze is being investigated by the state fire marshal's office.

University officials said the NBFD arrived on the scene within two minutes of receiving a call to extinguish the fire.

In addition, CCSU said the building’s sprinkler system kept the fire under control and several students used their training and pulled the fire alarms to help alert students and staff to the situation.

No students were injured, according to CCSU.

CCSU officials said the university has arranged temporary housing at a local hotel and complimentary laundry services for the affected students in James Hall.

Students also have received transportation services and food.

As of Tuesday afternoon, all students not initially displaced are back in the residence hall, which has been deemed safe to stay in by authorities.

The university is encouraging faculty and staff to be supportive of the displaced students who might need extra time for assignments and other duties.

CCSU said local fire officials are centering their investigation on faulty mechanical electric equipment.

The lobby sustained the most damage from sprinkler water and charred debris, with contractors "working around the clock to get the space fixed by the end of the week," wrote CCSU.

CCSU President Zulma R. Toro was on the scene Monday night and Tuesday morning to assess the damage.

“The university is grateful everyone is safe,” she said. “The students did exactly what they should in a situation like this and we are working on making them comfortable in a new space.”

Spring break begins on Saturday, so there is a full week of no students on campus for workers to make any necessary repairs.

James Hall was built in 1994 and houses about 385 students, according to the CCSU website, and is an eight-story residence hall.

For more information on Central Connecticut State University's James Hall, click on this link.