Multiple fires in House E of Craven Quadrangle forced residents to evacuate early in the morning April 22.
A fire began in one of the men's second floor bathrooms at approximately 1:47 a.m., according to Duke University Police Department reports. Maj. Phyllis Cooper said in a statement that the fires were deliberately set when paper towels and toilet paper were set aflame. A similar setup was discovered in the first floor men's bathroom.
"There was a big one on the second floor, and a small one on the first," said sophomore David Rabin, a House F resident. "Someone lit a trash can up on the second floor; on the first floor, someone filled the toilets with toilet paper and lit it."
One of the responding DUPD officers required emergency treatment for smoke inhalation but was subsequently released from Duke University Hospital's Emergency Department. This was the only reported injury stemming from the fire.
"There was so much smoke in the hallway," said sophomore Kimberly Burdette, a resident of House E. "[The officer] was coughing. With all the smoke, she could not breathe."
The fire did minimal damage to the dorm itself, residents said.
"It's pretty much the same [in the second-floor bathroom]," said sophomore Matthew Mandel, a House F resident. "There's just a charcoal mark on the floor."
The students were evacuated as soon as the fire was detected. DUPD officials said residents were allowed to enter their rooms after 30 minutes, but students said they were barred from their rooms for up to 90 minutes.
Repeated calls to the DUPD were not returned over the past several days, but residents of Houses E and F said the DUPD interviewed dorm residents Thursday.
Students said no one had informed them who set the fires, but they have speculated about who is responsible for the incidents.
"It all happened in a men's bathroom," Burdette said about possible suspects. "There are only so many people who can get in."
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