This morning’s fire at True House was an attempt at arson, fire officials determined.
The Division of State Fire Marshal, the Ohio University Police Department and the Athens Fire Department ruled the fire, which evacuated True House, 132 S. Green Drive, at about 4 a.m. today, was intentional.
A chair was lit on fire on the residence hall’s first floor, and the fire was contained to one room, although other rooms suffered heat and smoke damage, according to a news release.
Residents were moved to Atkinson House this morning while firefighters worked to clear the smoke.
"There's going to be smoke damage for individual rooms," Athens Fire Capt. George Klinger said earlier this morning.
Several students will be relocated for a few days because of smoke damage to their rooms, said Shane Cartmill, public information officer for the Division of State Fire Marshal.
Because the fire is still being investigated, officials are not releasing information about how the fire was set, but accidental causes have been eliminated, according to the news release.
Investigators have finished examining the area but do not yet have a cost estimate for the damage sustained, Cartmill said.
The Marshal's office and OUPD are interviewing witnesses now, including the firefighters who arrived at the scene first, Cartmill said.
"There was no one injured," Cartmill said. "The fire-alarm systems did activate as they were supposed to."
A Blue Ribbon Arson Reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information about the fire’s cause. Anyone with information can call the Division of State Fire Marshal at 1-800-589-2728 or OUPD at 740-593-1911.
"Obviously, someone knows something about this fire, and we would hope that if somebody has information about it or the person responsible feels they can come forward, we want them to do so," Cartmill said. "It's extremely important we take care of these cases quickly."
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