801 Crockett Street, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101
318/ 673-6655 ● FAX: 318/ 673-6656 ● www.shreveportfire.org

Kelvin J. Cochran, Fire Chief

April 8, 2002

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Cause of Centenary Dorm Fire Officially Listed as Lightning

Shreveport fire investigators have officially listed the cause of a fire last night at Centenary College’s Cline dormatory as lightning.

Fire communications officers at Caddo Parish 911 received the call reporting the fire at 3:41 a.m. from school officials. When the first engine company from the department’s nearby Wilkinson Street station arrived, there were not obvious flames but rather a "glow" from the eve and roof-line of the three story structure.

Students were evacuated as firefighters made their way up through the building and into the roof with high-rise packs and other fire fighting gear. Once inside the attic fire crews were able to locate the fire and confine its damage to a relatively small area. The fire was under control at 4:09 a.m. There was some residual water damage to the dormatory rooms under where the fire was located. Firefighters removed smoke that had made its way into the building by using large exhaust fans set up around the structure.

Investigators believe the lightning struck the building during last night’s storms - specifically, hitting an old copper vent on the eve of the roof. No injuries were reported. The high-rise packs are packs of hose, connectors, and a nozel carried by firefighters to fight fires inside of multiple story buildings. These packs attach directly to inside building standpipe (water) accesses. These accesses are available on every floor and are supplied water by a fire engine on the street pumping into an outside receiver. ###