Days before finals, Wheaton College is frustrated over fires

NORTON, Mass. — Four fires in less than a week in a Wheaton college dormitory have students on edge and investigators searching for the arsonist.

A $5,000 reward is being offered to anyone with any information about who is starting the fires.

Students who live in McIntire Hall have been woken up by smoke and fire alarms after four different fires were started in the dorm since Wednesday.

“It is scary," said freshman Nick Cehelsky, who is among students pleading with the perpetrator to stop setting the fires.

"The one the night before, the whole entire second floor was just smoke and some people could barely get out of their rooms," Cehelsky said.

Wheaton College has increased the number of public safety officers on campus and also has two firefighters on “fire watch” outside McIntire Hall.

“It’s so frustrating. Everyone’s fed up with it. Three out of the five nights we’ve been out of our dorms from like 2 in the morning until 7 in the morning. It’s just terrible," Cehelsky said.

Sunday night’s fire was captured on video after it started in a trash can around 11:30 p.m.

After each fire, over 100 students living in the dorm were shuffled into the dining hall, where they sat for hours waiting to be interviewed by investigators.

The state fire marshal’s office is also investigating two fires that happened in McIntire Hall Sunday morning.

One in a trash can and the other on a utility shelf.

Another trash can fire that happened on Wednesday was originally considered an accident but is now under investigation.

College staff say nothing like this have ever happened on campus before and they’re taking it very seriously.

“This is obviously a very concerning situation,” Wheaton spokesperson Mike Graca said. “You know our first priority is to keep students safe and any risk to that we take extremely seriously which is why we’re really taking every step that we can possibly take to keep the campus safe.”

The college wouldn’t say if there are any surveillance cameras in the hall.

Cox Media Group