An electrical fire at Christ Church last week has caused significant upheaval,and has left a staircase uninhabitable for two weeks.
An electrical fire at Christ Church
last week has caused significant upheaval,
and has left a staircase uninhabitable
for two weeks.
Students and staff were forced to
evacuate Peckwater Quad at 10.30am
last Thursday when the fire broke
out. They were prevented from reentering
the building for around an
hour, as fire engines attended to the
flames.
The damage caused by the electrical
fire has left Staircase 2 temporarily
uninhabitable, and the 16 students
who live in that part of the building
have had to be relocated. Eight have
been allocated alternative rooms
on site, but a contentious decision
to rehouse the other students in the
Liddell Building on Iffley Road has
prompted annoyance from some of
the student body.
Christ Church Steward Pauline
Linières-Hartley explained how the
blaze began, telling Cherwell, “The
fire was caused by a faulty ceiling fan
in a bathroom. The adjoining shower
and some of the electrics were damaged.”
She added, “There were students
in the building at the time, but
all were evacuated safely. Some will
be spending two weeks in alternative
Christ Church accommodation.”
George Huntley, a Christ Church
student who lives on the staircase
affected by the fire, stated, “I was
just leaving the building as the fire
alarm went off, and thankfully everyone
else got out quickly too. Five
fire engines managed to get to the
college pretty quickly.”
He described the state of the
building in the aftermath of the fire,
saying, “Whilst there was no damage
caused to personal possessions
there is a lot of soot in my room and
a strong smell of smoke. The college
has moved us out for what they say
is a maximum of two weeks whilst
they thoroughly clean rooms and replace
burnt bathroom units.
“Fortunately the fire was contained
within the bathroom area
and did not spread to my room –
which was next door – or to anyone
else’s rooms.”
Huntley implied that those residents
of the staircase who have been
relocated to properties outside of
college are somewhat resentful of
the treatment, saying that the eight
students who have been transferred
to Iffley Road are there “much to
their anger”.
He also remarked, “All 16 of us have
been given £50 compensation by the
college, which somewhat sweetens
the inconvenience of moving all of
our belongings having only just unpacked
them.”
Caroline Ames, a second year Engineering
student who also lives on the
staircase in question, told Cherwell
that the “Drag Suite”, the nickname
used by Christ Church students for
one of the shared sets in Peckwater
Quad, has suffered a certain degree
of damage as a result of the fire, and
that the staircase basement, where
some old books were apparently being
stored, was flooded.
Though the incident has forced her
to move out of college temporarily,
Ames was optimistic about the situtation.
She said, “All of us were relocated
to college accommodation and
hope to move back to our rooms by
the end of the week. The college has
also kindly given us some money as
compensation for the disruption.”
A false rumour that a first year student
was responsible for the fire, having
joked about his past as an arsonist
and stated his desire to be “like
a mythical beast of Christ Church,
causing havoc wherever I go,” has
been investigated by Cherwell. No
evidence has been uncovered suggesting
that the fire was deliberately
lit.
Students and staff were forced to evacuate Peckwater Quad at 10.30amlast Thursday when the fire broke out. They were prevented from reentering the building for around an hour, as fire engines attended to the flames.
The damage caused by the electrical fire has left Staircase 2 temporarily uninhabitable, and the 16 students who live in that part of the building have had to be relocated. Eight have been allocated alternative rooms on site, but a contentious decision to rehouse the other students in the Liddell Building on Iffley Road has prompted annoyance from some of the student body.
Christ Church Steward Pauline Linières-Hartley explained how the blaze began, telling Cherwell, “The fire was caused by a faulty ceiling fan in a bathroom. The adjoining shower and some of the electrics were damaged.” She added, “There were students in the building at the time, but all were evacuated safely. Some will be spending two weeks in alternative Christ Church accommodation.”
George Huntley, a Christ Church student who lives on the staircase affected by the fire, stated, “I was just leaving the building as the fire alarm went off, and thankfully everyone else got out quickly too. Five fire engines managed to get to the college pretty quickly.”
He described the state of the building in the aftermath of the fire,saying, “Whilst there was no damage caused to personal possessions there is a lot of soot in my room and a strong smell of smoke. The college has moved us out for what they say is a maximum of two weeks whilst they thoroughly clean rooms and replace burnt bathroom units.
“Fortunately the fire was contained within the bathroom area and did not spread to my room –which was next door – or to anyone else’s rooms.”
Huntley implied that those residents of the staircase who have been relocated to properties outside of college are somewhat resentful of the treatment, saying that the eight students who have been transferred to Iffley Road are there “much to their anger”.
He also remarked, “All 16 of us have been given £50 compensation by the college, which somewhat sweetens the inconvenience of moving all of our belongings having only just unpacked them.”
Caroline Ames, a second year Engineering student who also lives on the staircase in question, told Cherwell that the “Drag Suite”, the nickname used by Christ Church students for one of the shared sets in Peckwater Quad, has suffered a certain degree of damage as a result of the fire, and that the staircase basement, where some old books were apparently being stored, was flooded.
Though the incident has forced her to move out of college temporarily, Ames was optimistic about the situtation.She said, “All of us were relocated to college accommodation and hope to move back to our rooms by the end of the week. The college has also kindly given us some money ascompensation for the disruption.”
A false rumour that a first year student was responsible for the fire, having joked about his past as an arsonist and stated his desire to be “like a mythical beast of Christ Church, causing havoc wherever I go,” has been investigated by Cherwell. No evidence has been uncovered suggesting that the fire was deliberately lit.
