Trash Can Fires Alarm UMass Campus Officials

The seventh in a series of garbage can fires forced about 200 students at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst campus to evacuate their dormitory rooms last Thursday night.

University officials believe the fires were set deliberately. "We're convinced it is an inside job," said Gerald P. O'Neil, director of public safety at the University. "The North-ampton Fire Department has given these incidents a priority investigation listing," he added.

University police will be beefing up campus security by installing smoke detectors and changing locks. In addition, student dispatchers will petrol campus, according to O'Neil.

The most recent fire occurred during the campus annual fire protection week and followed a dormitory meeting on fire prevention and precautions, said UMass student Mary Anu Been. She added that there were three fires last spring, which also broke out in the second floor trash room of Crampton Hall.

Derm Extinguishers

According to campus police, all but one of the fires have been extinguished before the Fire Department arrived, by students armed with dorm fire extinguishers. In that incident smoke was too severe for the dorm extinguishers to overcome.

Crampton resident Julie E. Gershon said that she and the other students of the all-female dormitory are "very upset," adding "we weary that the arsonist will choose a room-other than the garbage room as a target."