Washburn students trying to figure out who would want to set fire to a dorm
6:10 p.m. Sunday, October 19, 2008
A fan sits at the top of the stairs on the fourth floor of the Living Learning Center residence hall, or LLC, trying to ventilate from the smell of smoke.
"As you're walking up the stairs, the further up you go the more it smells like smoke, and it's kind of like burnt plastic," Destinee Parker, who lives in the dorm, said.
When Parker returned to her room Saturday morning and saw fire trucks she says a million questions ran through her head.
UPDATE
As of Monday, October 20, the reward for information on a fire at Washburn University has been increased to $12,500.
"Are my things going to be okay? Are the sprinkler systems going to come on? Is my laptop going to be completely destroyed," Parker said.
Lauren Goodrich was asleep when the alarm woke her up.
"Seeing smoke from the fourth floor was kind of nerve racking," Goodrich, who saw the smoke once she left the dorm, said.
But what is also nerve racking is the investigation.
"In the LLC first floor lobby, we saw a bunch of FBI agents sitting inside doing an investigation, which is surreal even for Topeka," Goodrich said. "I have never seen that before in my life."
Students are trying to get back to normal, but it's hard with a locked up elevator and a red sign with big letters that says arson.
"It's just scary to know that there is somebody here that wants to harm the LLC, or that could have been dangerous for somebody. Somebody could have gotten hurt," Parker said.
From the fourth floor you can see the light pole, which has a surveillance camera attached to it. University officials aren't sure if it will help with the investigation, but say they are doing whatever they can to help solve this crime.
The fire started in an elevator, causing one million dollars in damage.
Investigators are offering a $5,500 dollar reward. If you have any information about the fire call 1-800-KS-Crime.
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