On the night of Saturday, November 18, Greeley, (a 12-unit apartment style residence hall located on the west side of campus) witnessed a fire break out between the second and third floors. Eight fire engines, three ladder trucks, one rescue truck and one ambulance reported to control and manage the fire and resulting damage.
The building was reported to be fully occupied at the start of the outbreak, but all 51 students were evacuated and accounted for, as confirmed at 9:35 p.m. by Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Steve Boucher via various official university social media accounts.
Many students received updates of the incident via social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.
An official statement from the university stated that the the initial reports indicate that the fire was electrical in nature and “an isolated incident and [that] there is no risk to other buildings on campus.”
Following the fire, many university community members immediately showed their support and concern both on social media and in action. Sunday afternoon saw university faculty and staff sorting through students’ belongings recovered and retrieved from Greeley in the Small Gym.
According to SNHU’s official statement, safety checks will be completed on all older residences on campus, and further information will become available, as warranted. This university wide memo issues the following conclusion and words of gratitude to the SNHU community:
“As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday, we are especially thankful that everyone is safe. In difficult times, the spirit of the SNHU community shines bright. We want to thank everyone for their support, well wishes and dedication to helping our students.”
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned throughout the semester at PenmenPress.com for updates. If you have any information that you think would be relevant to our coverage, email us at penmenpress@snhu.edu or contact us HERE.
