Jon's Fire Article

Fire in Franklin

A blaze tore through the Franklin Dining Commons at 12:00 p.m. yesterday, causing serious damage and leaving several people injured, according to Tamar Stephenson, head of campus security.
According to UMass student Nicholas Johnson, an individual put cheese through a toaster which caused the machine to catch on fire. “Things were exploding everywhere. I thought the whole building was going to burn down,” Johnson said. “I feared for my life.”
Stephenson assured reporters that proper procedures were being followed. “We’ve called investigators, and people are currently being taken care of,” Stephenson said. “It seems the building might be unsafe and will probably have to be closed down for a long period of time,” she added.
Dean of Students, Jon Santana, discussed the immediate impact that the fire will have on the UMass campus. “The students are going to have to use other Dining Commons for an extended amount of time,” Santana explained.
There are currently 11,000 students who have campus meal plan.