A fire broke out in a student's closet at King House, located at 154 Hope St., yesterday around 3 p.m., attracting Department of Public Safety officers and five Providence fire engines. An overheated lamp ignited nearby clothes in the closet of John Champlin '08, according to King House resident Siti Nur Sarah Morris '08.
The aftermath of the fire left Champlin's room covered in plaster, with charred plaster and tile in his closet. Morris said firefighters broke down the door of Champlin's neighbor to ensure that the fire had not spread. The doorway of that room has since been sealed with plywood.
After inspecting the closet, DPS officers initially suspected the fire was arson, though Champlin's roommate, Abe Lubetkin '08, reassured them there was no foul play involved, Morris said.
"The fire was completely accidental," Lubetkin told The Herald.
It is not entirely clear what type of lamp caused the fire, but King House residents told The Herald that they suspected a halogen lamp started the fire.
After the fire was discovered, Joss Whittaker '06 tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire with an extinguisher before exiting the building and waiting outside with the rest of King House's residents for firefighters from the Brook Street company to arrive, said King House resident Keren Klimovsky '08.
"Ironically it took longer for the firemen to respond to a real fire than to the fake fire this past September," Morris said, referring to a false alarm last semester caused by an alarm system malfunction.
Champlin could not be reached for comment Thursday.
