Repeated arson fires evacuate ESU dorm

Seven fires in five days - suspect admits setting them EAST STROUDSBURG — East Stroudsburg University students were evacuated from Hawthorn Hall student residence hall early Tuesday morning as university police and the Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg fire departments responded to two small fires there. There were no injuries and university police are questioning a person who has admitted responsibility for this morning’s fires and the fires which were discovered last Friday morning. The person of interest is cooperating with police. On Friday, September 24, five small fires were discovered and immediately extinguished in Hawthorn Hall. Hawthorn is a student residence hall which houses 320 students. Students were evacuated upon the sounding of the alarms in response to both events. The alarms are wired directly to the university police department and officer’s radio communication system. Within minutes of the Tuesday morning fires university police and resident assistants responded to the alarms as did the fire departments and the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal. The fires this morning were not large enough to cause the sprinkler system to activate and were extinguished by first responders. Students were allowed back into Hawthorn Hall upon determination by fire personnel and university police that there were no other fires or threats to the safety of the students and others in the building.