Purchase College Regroups After Dorm Fire

HARRISON, NY — About 102 students were affected by the Purchase College dorm fire Sunday night. School officials have devised a complex plan to help all, from the most to the least affected.

First off, eight students from K3 in the K street dorm will be housed for the semester at Manhattanville College. Purchase is trying to keep students in the same living groups where possible.

Second, because the rest of the apartments (K1, K2, K4, K5) are unusable because of lack of power or access to the internet or phones, temporary housing has been found for those 80 or so students if they're not staying on campus with friends, at either the Hyatt House or the Renaissance Hotel. They were escorted in to pick up essential belongings.

Power should be restored to those apartments in two to three weeks, school officials said.

Transportation will be provided for all those students.

College officials have found ways to help affected students with counseling, academic support and medical support.

All students who were in the fire zone (K3) are receiving a full meal plan for free. Also K3 students have been provided with a academic kit that includes replacement text books, and other supplies. The college book store was able to pull these materials together based on K3 students’ class schedule and major.

And while the college distributed $250 Visa gift cards to all the burnt-out students so they could immediately buy emergency supplies, the PCGA held a supplies and clothing drive and the Purchase College Foundation is helping students with financial needs. Catherine M. Brod Interim Vice President, Institutional Advancement, issued this notice to the college community:

As you may be well aware by now, a fire in the K Street dorm this past weekend has left 102 students temporarily displaced, and 20 of our students lost all of their possessions in their apartments. The Purchase College Foundation has set up the K Street Fire Fund to assist those who would like to make financial contributions to assist those students, and receive a charitable deduction for doing so. Please follow the link below to make your online charitable contribution. Additionally, you can stop by our office, room 1059 in the Humanities Building, to drop off a check or cash. Checks should be made payable to Purchase College Foundation, with “K Street Fire Fund” written in the memo.

Donate Now

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Carla Weiland, Director of Annual Giving, at extension 6046.

PHOTO/ Joe Sugrue via Kempter's Fire Wire