THIBODAUX – Rapid implementation of emergency procedures at Nicholls State University resulted in no injuries and very little property damage Saturday, March 1, after a fire broke out in a La Maison du Bayou apartment on campus.
“I am both very pleased and relieved with the outcome of this incident,” said Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert, university president. “Our commitment to the safety of Nicholls students, faculty and staff is always of first importance. We test and evaluate our emergency preparedness systems on a regular basis, and I am quite gratified that such diligence paid off this weekend.”
Dr. Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs and enrollment services, said the fire resulted from a pot that a student had left cooking on a stove early Saturday morning. The fire triggered the apartment sprinkler system, which in turn notified emergency personnel who facilitated the orderly evacuation of the complex. No students were injured, and property damage was contained to the kitchen where the fire originated, Dial said.
Residents were allowed to return to their apartment complexes once the situation was contained. Students living in the damaged apartment were assigned temporary housing.
“The upshot is that our emergency procedures worked the way they were designed to work,” Dial said. “We’d like to thank the fire department, the police and the student staff for their rapid response.”
