Brady Vinlove/The Mossy Log
Lewis & Clark students, faculty and staff received a campuswide email Feb. 20 alerting them to a suspected arson incident in Copeland Residence Hall. This alert was in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act which stipulates that universities give the community a timely warning “if there is a serious or ongoing threat.” The email stated the Campus Safety and the Portland Fire Department were investigating potential arson that occurred that day at 4:36 a.m., resulting in a Campus Safety officer requiring treatment for smoke inhalation. As of March 4, two other incidents have occurred in connection with the suspected arson.
However, this was not the first incident to occur. While the entire community was first alerted on Feb. 20, Copeland residents received an email from Area Director Adam Hintze on Feb. 13 detailing similar incidents from Feb. 6 and 7. Again, it seemed that someone had left flammable items atop an activated stove, which led to a fire starting. Hintze wrote about the incidents in the email:
“At best, these are unfunny ‘pranks’ that put our community at risk and waste the time of community and Emergency Service professionals that are activated each time. At worst, these actions could be considered an intentional act of arson that can both damage property and put lives at risk.”
The Mossy Log contacted Director of Campus Living Theresa Brostowitz for an email statement. When asked why the community was not notified of these attempts, Brostowitz stated that at the time, these earlier incidents did not seem intentional nor ongoing and thus did not warrant a Timely Warning Notice.
While the investigation is ongoing, Campus Living and Campus Safety suspect the incidents to be arson due to the physical evidence left at each scene.
“On several recent occasions, a variety of items were left unattended directly on the heating element of the stove until they began to burn. Because these incidents were recurring and did not involve cooking of food, it is unlikely they were accidental or related to normal use of the kitchen. Instead, it seems to be a pattern of incidents that were done intentionally to start fires,” Brostowitz wrote.
According to Brostowitz’s statement, the Portland Fire Department responds to all fire alarms on campus, and since the first incident the college has been working with the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) to investigate. Thus far, no damage has occurred and the only known injury is the smoke inhalation by a Campus Safety officer.
The PPB also commented on the incidents in an email statement to The Mossy Log on March 2. While the Bureau is limited in what it can share during an ongoing investigation, the statement did reveal the initial date and total number of suspected incidents at the time of the email, which were previously undisclosed to the community.
“Since January 25 of this year, there have been at least five small fires in kitchenettes inside Copeland Residence Hall. These fires appear to have been intentionally set,” PPB wrote.
Just two days after the initial Cleary warning, on Feb. 22, another alleged attempt occurred around 4 a.m.. This not only resulted in another warning, but also safety measures being enacted in Copeland. The stoves in communal kitchens were disconnected and college staff began patrolling the halls at night.
In a photo provided to The Mossy Log taken after the alarm was triggered on Feb. 22, two blackened sponges sit in a sink alongside a scorched burner that was removed from the stove.
Just five days later, another alleged attempt occurred in the early morning of Feb. 27. The community was notified with an email subject “Continued Pattern of Concerning Behavior,” which detailed that a resident and Campus Safety staff found metal objects in a microwave. While no smoke or fire were produced, the email states that the pattern of behavior is in line with the previous incidents. Copeland residents subsequently received an email explaining that all kitchens would be locked, and any microwaves in common areas would be removed, leaving only a few refrigerators and kitchen sinks in four communal areas available for residents.
In terms of college disciplinary action, Brostowitz explained that all instances of policy violation are referred to and handled by Community Accountability and Conflict Education.
Brostowitz emphasized the significant impact these alleged arson attempts have on the community. She mentioned the wellness effects on residents whose sleep has been disrupted.
“More than 270 students live in Copeland, and they have had to evacuate the building late at night or early in the morning each time the fire alarm has gone off because of these incidents,” she wrote. “That means disrupted sleep and waiting outside in the cold and sometimes rain until the fire department responds. In addition to the stress, fear, and disrupted sleep students have experienced, there have also been concerning physical impacts for Campus Safety staff responding to the incidents including respiratory distress and vomiting resulting from smoke exposure.”
Emily Nakashima Kim ’29 is a Copeland resident who was shocked to learn about recent incidents. She feels confused and fearful about their continuation and described her neighbors as feeling “on edge.”
“I feel like I can speak for a lot of people when I say it’s really shocking,” Nakashima Kim said. “This is where we live, it’s clearly somebody who also lives here. So it’s like, what is your thought process and trying to burn down the building that you live in?”
Chayce Milheim ’29 is a Copeland resident who lives near the location of some of the incidents in the A-wing. She described a sense of eagerness by fellow residents to find the perpetrator and noted frustration that the attempts have not yet stopped.
“The security, I think, has been good. I do hear them patrolling and everything, but it also just feels like… They sent out the initial email and then there was still another fire alarm. So I’m wondering if maybe cameras in the kitchens could be good,” Milheim said.
Brostowitz recognized that it could be an inconvenience for students who do not have a meal plan or are observing Ramadan, and stated that Campus Living is working to come up with a system to allow limited kitchen access.
On March 4, Hintze sent an email to Copeland residents informing them about a plan for limited kitchen access going forward. Residents will be able to fill out a usage agreement form, both linked in the email and available through a QR code on posters located around the building. Upon completion, students will be able to check out a key to the kitchen or dial the Resident Advisor on-call number to access select kitchens for cooking. Currently, only six kitchens will allow cooking, and students are asked to limit their usage to 90 minutes.
Nakashima Kim explained that the kitchen closures have made simple tasks difficult, frustrating her and fellow students.
“A lot of people, especially in areas that I live, really like cooking. So it’s like, now, what can we do? Can’t use our kitchens, or we have, maybe one at our disposal, and it’s completely out of our way.”
Campus Living and Brotstowitz stressed the importance of evacuation during every fire alarm for safety.
“Always respond to any fire alarm with the assumption that there is a fire, and evacuate. Remember that with any fire, smoke and toxins in the air can have physical effects, even if someone is not near the flame or there is no visible flame,” Brostowitz wrote.
Despite repeated reminders in emails about the importance of evacuation, some students are concerned about these protocols being followed. Milheim worries about her neighbors not hearing fire alarms or not taking them seriously due to the frequency at which alarms go off in Copeland.
Repeated alarms have started to feel like “the boy who cried wolf,” she said, referring to frequent false alarms for cooking or individuals pulling the fire alarm. She worries that if a serious emergency occurs, students may not evacuate.
Nakashima Kim shares similar safety concerns and voiced frustration with the school’s communication thus far.
“Knowing that there’s so many other people that live here too, I feel like the safety levels here are not up to par. What really shocked me was also learning about how our parents haven’t been emailed and informed on what’s going on. I feel like that’s something that they should know,” she said.
Campus Living emphasized the importance of alerting Campus Safety or Campus Living staff if anyone has any information related to the incidents. The PPB also recommended anyone with information contact Detective Meredith Hopper by email at meredith.hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov.
Additional reporting done by Charles A. Anderson
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