dormitory fire, reflections

Last night I went to bed just after 2am. I was energetic – and anxious. Matt and I are moving to Muncie, IN… our first home. But I have no job prospects, so I’m determined to find a job… food is important to us like that.

Well, I laid down in my bed, and remarked to myself at how uncomfortable I was in my bed. If my life were a piece of literature, that feeling would have been a premonition.

4:02am. WEAAAAAA…. WEAAAA… I jolt awake, knowing that I have to act fast. I look at the clock, surprised to see that I actually did sleep. I try my best to untangle myself from the covers and put my slippers on. My feet only glide over the slippers and hit the rough carpet. I run to get my clipboard and my master key… My only thought is I have to get my hall out of the dorm and accounted for. I find my ID card – which I thankfully remember dropping next to my desk chair – before I grab a blanket and start running down my hallway. No one has left their room yet. I start opening doors and telling girls to leave. They’re all sluggish; they usually are a lot faster during a fire alarm. Campus safety darts into my hall and yells furiously that my girls leave very quickly… this is not normal. This must be real.

I rush all my girls outside and push them off the curb. On my way out, I see Sharon, the DA, looking worried and trying to figure out the source of the fire. I tell them the fire trucks will probably be coming because its a real fire. Angie, a fellow RA, comes out panicked and says that “Its a real fire! There is actually smoke!”

We’re only outside a few minutes when we see smoke drifting up past the roof… Obviously the fire is only the courtyard side of the dorm. The smoke is white.

Campus Safety is running around like crazy – this must be huge. Someone tells me that the fire trucks are already on the scene. This doesn’t make sense – the alarm only went off a few minutes ago.

Campus Safety evacuates the desk worker – so it is serious. Usually the desk worker remains inside to aid communication between on-off site staff. My hall fire marshal has forgotten her clipboard – all her materials to check on our girls. So I take the check… All my girls are here. Good.

Sharon comes up to me and says that we’re all going to the cafeteria for shelter. This has never happened before. This means it may be a while. We start walking up toward the caf drive. It runs parallel to the long side of our dormitory. As we turn the corner, we see a horrific sight – bright, orange flames are lighting up a section of our sister dorm (we’re attached, but considered separate entities). We gasp; I choke back tears.

My fellow RAs and I are yelling at girls to hurry up to the cafeteria. We have to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for… This is much too serious for mistakes.

I look in horror at the roof of the third floor of the dormitory. In that one section, its gone. The road in front of Thatcher Hall is filled with fire trucks – 22 in all from 8 departments, and ambulances. The fire is raging – there is nothing left in that area of the dormitory… We try to get our girls to the cafeteria.

After a half hour of pleading, all of the girls are in the caf. I take check again. All my girls are there, in the back corner. It takes another hour (at least) to account for everyone.

Dean Patterson, a guys dean, is coordinating everything. I see no women’s deans. Some girls are in shock, unable to walk. I hear whispers of girls who were trapped in their rooms or in the kitchen due to the blaze.

Guys start appearing… they comfort their girlfriends and fiancees. I’ve called Matt by now and told him I’m safe. He said “ok” and went back to bed.

Announcements are made that everyone is accounted for. We cheer. We’re told we will be here until the fire is contained and put out. Administrators will be meeting to discuss the final exam schedule, which starts at 8am this morning.

Around 5:30am, they offer us free drinks.

Around 6am, they serve free breakfast to us.

We continue to wait. By this time, we know that the fire is out. Suddenly, an annoucement is made by Dr. Gorden Bietz, our university president. He says that a girl has died from smoke inhalation. Immediately gasps and cries from girls go out… Dr. Bietz starts crying and tries to speak. He will not release the name. He says two other girls are in the hospital for smoke inhalation.

Counselors arrive. Chaplains, counselors, professors from many departments… Readings of scripture and prayer.

At 7:30 am, we’re told that the 8am exams will be at 6pm. All other exams continue as scheduled. All of the girls are in pajamas, if that much. I feel self-concious in my pants and t-shirt, no bra.

and that’s all I can bear to write tonight…