On-campus fire injures one woman

A fire in Merrill Hall Monday hospitalized one woman and caused minor smoke damage to an apartment.

Richard Workman, residence director of South Campus, said the fire started Monday around 2:20 p.m.

“A young lady was cooking some food and either the oil on it or the drip pan caught fire,” Workman said. “It exploded and she dropped the pan. It burned for a short time and then turned on the sprinklers which put out the fire.”

Workman said police and fire crew response was “excellent.” About 20 Logan, North Logan and Smithfield firefighters responded to the scene.

The woman was treated by Emergency Response for second-degree burns on her hands, but Workman said she is doing well now. No one else was in the apartment at the time.

The residents of the apartment were relocated, but Workman said cleaning crews were working on the apartment yesterday and the girls should be back in their apartment today.

Andy Hofmeister, director of Residential Facilities, said there was “a pretty small amount of smoke damage” and the water did little damage because the walls are cinderblock and cleaning crews were at the apartment within an hour getting water out of the carpets.

The sprinkler system that put out the fire was part of a $2.5 million project finished three years ago to fit the residence halls with sprinklers. Officials say the sprinklers probably prevented much greater damage.