By Kyra Price
A fundraiser has helped residents after a fire damaged property in one of UW-Stout’s residence halls on March 9th. 1C North Hall was where the incident happened. UW-Stout’s Director of University Housing, Adam Ludwig, and Residence Life Coordinator, Sarah Frazier, responded to the incident.
The building was evacuated and Ludwig and Frazier said the sprinkler system put out the fire.
“The Menomonie Fire Department in collaboration with University Police investigated the situation and determined that the fire was likely started by a malfunctioning electronic device or charger,” said Ludwig.
“The authorities confirmed that the fire was not started due to any faulty building wiring or electrical malfunction,” said Ludwig.
They said the Student Leadership Assistants began to help raise funds to help replace residents’ items that suffered smoke or water damage. Donations go to the replacement of students’ damaged personal property. The North Hall 1C: Replacement and Support Fund accepted donations through April 18.
“Nearly $1,500 was raised to help offset the costs of the student losses. Over 30 campus staff members and students helped contribute to this fund,” said Frazier.
“While we encourage residents to get renters insurance, many either don’t have it or the deductible is too high to reasonably file a claim,” said Ludwig.
“We test fire alarms monthly and coordinate fire drills annually. As we renovate buildings, we continue to add state of the art safety and security measures that help protect us from events like this,” said Ludwig.