Crews investigate apartment fire on campus
By: Mary Davies
Updated: January 9, 2013
UPDATE 9:45:
CHARLESTON --Firefighters believe a blaze on the EIU campus was intentionally set.The fire was set in a campus apartment building early Monday morning. An investigation found it started in a common area on the second floor. It damaged 5 of the building's 11 apartments.
No word on possible suspects.
ORIGINAL 1/7/2013:
CHARLESTON -- Crews are investigating the cause of a campus fire at Eastern Illinois University. It happened around 5:30 Monday morning in an apartment complex at 2007 S. 9th St. in Charleston.
On a chilly first day back from winter break--some students at Eastern got a rude awakening.
"You heard banging on the doors--'this is the police department, get out, get out!'" Senior Gabrille Miller said.
Miller rushed out of her apartment around 5:30 in the morning to find the building next door on fire.
"As soon as I walked outside you could smell it and everything was black," she said.
A neighbor noticed the flames first and called 911. Thankfully everyone got out safe, as crews worked to contain the fire.
"With two layers of plywood and the ceiling tiles we had a tremendous amount of difficulty getting to the fire in the attic," Charleston Chief Pat Goodwin said.
He says the apartments directly under the fire were vacant. No word yet on the damage or what started the fire. Charleston, Mattoon, Lincoln and Greenup fire departments worked together.
