MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Hundreds of Florida International University students were evacuated from an apartment building near campus early Thursday morning after a fire broke out while someone was cooking.
Witnesses told Local 10 News that a grease fire sparked the flames on the 10th floor of 109 Tower along Southwest 109th Avenue at Seventh Street after midnight. Much of the floor was damaged by fire and other parts of the building suffered water damage from the sprinkler system.
No one was injured, but many residents stayed up all night searching for a place to sleep.
"That's what I'm doing right now," one student told Local 10 News. "I'm about to go hike to go sleep on a couch."
Jaime Zapata, who lives in the off-campus housing, told Local 10 News that students were told to pack their bags and plan to be out of the building for two days. Many of them left the building without identification and were worried because they have finals to study for and take.
"They've had us out here since about 2 or 3 in the morning, telling us that we can't go back inside because it's not safe," student Analee Wharton said.
Susan Jennings, vice president of EdR Collegiate Housing, which owns the apartment building, said the majority of students have been allowed to return to their rooms. She said the students who lived in the apartment where the fire occurred and near the apartment have been put up in a hotel by the company.
According to Jennings, the sprinkler system was activated for about 20 minutes after the fire broke out.
FIU authorities said 109 Tower resumed normal operations Tuesday night.
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