Culprit of potential arson attack remains a mystery
Security images in the aftermanth of the fire outside Langwith. Photo credit: University of York
The proponent of an attempted arson attack that occurred last term has still not been found. CCTV saw at least one person set alight a pile of papers, that also included several aerosol cans, which could have lead to a serious explosion.
The cans and lighters were put into a pile of papers and set alight outside Block B in Langwith College; however, someone fortunately threw water onto the small fire and stopped it spreading further before it reached the potentially explosive objects.
The identity of the person behind the incident is unclear from CCTV images, but it appears to have only been a one-off incident. Residents of Block B were contacted regarding the fire, however, no one knew or was willing to come forward with any information.
There have been around 150 fines given out since the start of this year for unnecessarily bringing the fire brigade out to the University and for having fire hazards such as candles in students’ rooms. The fines can range up to £600 for falsely calling the fire brigade out.
Mick Elliott, the University’s Fire Safety Officer, described the incident as, “arson with intent” but luckily for everyone around the potential explosion, it was stopped before anything serious happened. He also warned students about the dangers of leaving cooking unattended, as last term there were seven kitchen fires across campus.
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