West Virginia University Police are seeking witnesses to a reported arson on the 7th floor of Arnold Hall.

On Thursday, April 3, the UPD responded to a fire alarm with the Morgantown Fire Department. The alarm was the result of paper attached to a wall being burnt. No injuries were reported and only minor damage resulted.

UPD is asking that anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call the WVU Police at 293-2677 or 293-COPS and contact Lt. Laurie Burks.

WVU Police offer the following tips:

Campus Fire Safety
Fire safety is of special concern to those living on campus. As some residence halls can house hundreds of students, the carelessness or oversight of just one can quickly lead to a fire emergency situation. Information about what to do in the event of a fire is presented at the beginning of students’ time at WVU. Additionally, fire drills are often conducted with timed evacuations so that residence hall staff members can continually evaluate and re-evaluate campus fire safety measures with special focus on the safest and fastest ways to get students out of a fire and to a safe location.

As the West Virginia State Code provides:

�61-3-1. Burning, etc., of a dwelling or outbuilding; first degree arson; penalty; definitions.

(a) Any person who willfully and maliciously sets fire to or burns, or who causes to be burned, or who aids, counsels, procures, persuades, incites, entices or solicits any person to burn, any dwelling, whether occupied, unoccupied or vacant, or any outbuilding, whether the property of himself or herself or of another, shall be guilty of arson in the first degree and, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to the penitentiary for a definite term of imprisonment which is not less than two nor more than twenty years. A person imprisoned pursuant to this section is not eligible for parole prior to having served a minimum of two years of his or her sentence or the minimum period required by the provisions of section thirteen, article twelve, chapter sixty-two of this code, whichever is greater.

-WVU-

br/04/04/14

CONTACT: University Relations/News
304.293.6997

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