Jon HowardSix of the seven palm trees in front of Straz Hall caught fire early Friday morning, but it does not appear the flames spread to the building itself.
THE CAUSE
Tampa fire officials said the burn patterns indicated that the blaze spread from the top of the tree down, meaning the source of the fire likely fell into one of the palms, which stand directly in front of Straz’s North Boulevard entrance.
ResLife is offering a $1,500 reward for information that leads to finding who caused the fire. Those with information can email commondamage@ut.edu.
THE EVACUATION
The second dorm-related fire at UT in two weeks led to the evacuation of shivering Straz residents, first to the lawn by the West Parking Garage and then to the Stadium Center food court around 2:25 a.m. Students, some wrapped in blankets, were allowed back into Straz at 2:45 a.m.
THE FIRE
Eyewitness Amy Johnson awoke to the screams of her roommate while sleeping on the couch in their second-story room.
She said she saw the blaze spreading and immediately called the Tampa fire department. The building was evacuated shortly thereafter.
Johnson said the fire started on the bark of the furthest tree and spread with the wind, engulfing another five trees.
From the middle up on some of the charred palms, the fire burned away all of the bark, but the green tops look intact–though wilted a bit from the heat.
BACKGROUND
A fire two weeks ago started when an RA left a lit candle burning in his Austin Hall room. There were no injuries, and the fire did not spread to neighboring rooms.
Director of Residence Life Krystal Schofield said Straz Hall has had at least one fire drill this year, and hours after the Straz blaze, Austin Hall had a fire alarm.
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