Last night the Longwood Police Department responded to a fire on top of the northeast Longwood Landings building - a Longwood University-managed apartment complex - sparked by a lightning strike during an intense thunderstorm.
The Longwood Police Department and fire crews responded after the roof of the northeast Longwood Landings building - a Longwood University-managed apartment complex - caught fire and burned for around an hour and a half last night after being struck by lightning.
Thirty-three of the northeast building's residents were relocated to Curry and Frazer Halls, on-campus dorms, according to Longwood Media Relations Director Matt McWilliams.
Longwood Campus Police arrived at 9:07 p.m., dispatched fire crews and evacuated all four Longwood Landings complexes. Longwood Media Relations Director Matt McWilliams said the crews put out the fire within an hour and a half of arrival, containing it to the original building.
@longwoodrotunda Smoke continues to rise from the roof of the northeast building pic.twitter.com/Eife7xg2TW
— Longwood Rotunda (@longwoodrotunda) August 16, 2016
He said the residents of the other three buildings were able to return to their rooms the same night.
Less than a third of building’s 102 residents were inside at the time of the incident as the rest are not expected to return to campus until this Saturday, Aug. 20.
McWilliams said the Office of Residential and Commuter Life is working to find temporary housing for all 102 students displaced before the fall semester begins on Monday, Aug. 22 until the building is repaired.
McWilliams said the relocated students will be escorted into the northeast building today to collect their belongings.
McWilliams said the fire stayed in the building’s attic, but damage from pumping water to extinguish the flames may have damaged the floors below, including the Longwood Barnes and Noble bookstore, located on the first floor of the building.
An estimated cost of damage and repair timeline is currently unknown.
No other students, outside of northeast Longwood Landings residents, should be affected by the fire, according to McWilliams.
Continue to follow The Rotunda as the story develops.
