An apartment above Casa Nueva caught fire Monday after flames spread from an Ohio University student’s stovetop.
Firefighters responded to the blaze, which occurred at 7:30 p.m. two stories above the 4 W. State St. restaurant.
“(The tenant) threw water on the stove, which made things worse,” Athens Fire Capt. Bruce Smith said. “The flames then spread on the floor and the curtains.” There were no injuries, he added.
“They’re able to stay in their apartment ... the damage was restricted to the stove area,” OU’s Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said in regard to emergency housing. “We created a policy two or three years ago (that says OU) can do a week of emergency housing for these types of situation exactly.”
Brianna McTaggart, a junior studying her own specialized major, was walking into her apartment on the second floor when the apartment’s tenant, who was running down the stairs in tears, interrupted her.
“The alarm went off and the girl was sobbing and told me that she didn’t know how to use a fire extinguisher,” McTaggart said. “I’ve used a fire extinguisher at work before, so I grabbed mine and ran upstairs to help her with my friend.”
McTaggart’s friend, Brenna Kowall, a junior studying commercial photography, said they then ran back upstairs and began knocking on other residents’ doors to tell them about the fire and to get out.
“We tried to go into her room, and then we saw the curtains rise up in flames,” McTaggart said. “There was black smoke everywhere.”
The tenant of the apartment declined comment.
Firefighters left the scene at 8:10 p.m.
bc822010@ohiou.edu
