The Signal

Issue date: 5/21/08 Section: News

Two students were treated for first- and second-degree burns on small portions of their body after their clothes caught fire May 13 during a chemistry lab in Naraghi Hall.

The two, whose names have not been released, were taken to Emanuel Hospital for treatment, said Amy Thomas, assistant director of environmental health, safety and emergency management.

The class is Chemistry 1100 Lab and meets once a week on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 5:38 p.m. in Naraghi Hall, Room 365. Professor Scott Russell teaches the course and from witnesses' accounts was responsible for extinguishing the fire.

Sprinklers were not activated because they are smoke and heat sensitive and the fire did not emit enough heat or smoke.

Candice Wesley was standing next to the lab partners who were victims of the fire. Wesley said she saw the flames rise as a female student reached for napkins to pat out the fire. A male student reached for the nearest liquid to pour on the flames, which turned out to be acetone, a flammable liquid caused the fire to ignite more even more.

"Then some of the napkins on fire fell on the floor and he tried to stomp them out. His shoe didn't catch on fire or anything just his socks," Wesley said.

"(The female student) screamed from across the room and then professor Russell ran in; he was like superman. The flames were there and then they were gone. He put it out so fast," Wesley said.

Wesley said the male student was wearing shorts and the female was wearing flip-flops and did not have her hair pulled away from her face completely.

Wesley also said that in the syllabus it clearly states that closed-toe shoes must be worn for labs, hair must be secured away from the face and shorts are not recommended.

Jenai Burdick was another student in the classroom during the ordeal.

"I saw the girl's chest was on fire and then the back of her hair," she said. "The fire was also on the table and then the guy's foot caught on fire. I saw him kind of run to the center of then room."

She said Russell ran to grab the fire extinguisher and yelled for everyone to leave the classroom.

Thomas, along with the state fire marshal's office, is investigating the incident. Campus police also visited the scene immediately following the incident to take a report and pictures.

"I've heard this experiment is fairly routine and has been done for 30 years on this campus safely," Thomas said. "My main focus is to investigate if anything could have been done to prevent it and to see what preventative steps should be taken in the future. Although the incident was tragic for those involved it was relatively minor."

Russell did not return calls made by the Signal and the Chemistry Department only had this to say: "The incident is not good material for the Signal."

The College of Natural Sciences Deans Office, which oversees the chemistry department, said it had "no comment at this time."

Thomas said she would appreciate any additional eyewitness accounts to add to her investigation report. She can be reached at 209-667-3035 to give a witness statement or additional information on the investigation.

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