Some information on the fire from today's O.U. Post:
Weekend fire kills 3 Ohio University at OSU
by Michelle Simakis
For The Post
michelle.simakis.1@ohiou.edu
Five college students were killed in an early morning fire near the Ohio State University campus that brought 11 fire engines and 100 firefighters to the scene.
Three Ohio University students and two OSU students were killed early yesterday morning in what fire and police officials are investigating as possible arson. The fire at 64 E. 17th Ave. began just as a 21st birthday party was ending.
The fire started at 4:05 a.m. near the front door of the house, said Mike Fultz, Columbus Fire Battalion chief.
The police have not released the victims’ names, said Brian Carney, Columbus homicide detective. The students’ families have received a preliminary notification.
“The coroner has a good idea who the students are, but wants to be completely sure of their identifications before he releases their names to the press,” he said.
Three others in the house were injured, said Kim Graham, spokesman for Ohio State University Medical Center.
Two of the injured — one of whom was an OU student — were treated and released. One remains in critical condition.
Dean of Students Terry Hogan was in Columbus yesterday trying to coordinate efforts with OSU officials to gather information about the fire.
“We will be reaching out to the students most directly affected and offering support to the families and those suffering from this loss in any way we can,” Hogan said.
Two firefighters also were treated and released for minor injuries at Grant Medical Center, said Peggy Bales, a nursing supervisor.
Columbus fire arson investigators and Columbus Police homicide officers are working together on the investigation and consider the fire suspicious, Fultz said.
OSU sophomore Zack Randol, one of the 13 students who lived in the house, said one of his neighbors called him at 4:35 a.m. and notified him of the fire.
“When I got there at about 4:45 a.m., the whole house was still ablaze,” he said.
Randol said 11 of the 13 roommates have been accounted for and are alive.
About 80 people were at the party that night but started to leave around 3:15 a.m., Police Sgt. Dana Norman told The Associated Press. Between 10 and 20 people were there when the fire broke out, he said.
Fultz said firefighters did not hear smoke detectors going off when they arrived.
“Students there said the smoke detectors were functioning, but one student said he ignored the detectors because they go off all the time and did not act until someone in the house confirmed there was a fire,” he said.
The fire was contained at 5:24 a.m., and both structures’ damages are estimated to be $250,000, he said.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report
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