The College Place Provo apartments south of BYU campus were evacuated late last night after an unattended pot of wax started a kitchen fire.
The fire occurred in an apartment at about 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, according to apartment resident Emily Anderson. She said the fire was started by a roommate who left a pot of wax on the stove while she attended to other matters.
“I heard the fire alarm go off in our apartment and thought it was just a drill, but then I heard my roommates screaming,” Anderson said. “I walked out of my room and we were all just in the hall, staring at the fire, wondering what we should do.”
Anderson said she called 911 before leaving the apartment, while one of her roommates ran to get a fire extinguisher from the hall. After the fire was extinguished, the complex’s residents were evacuated until the fire department responded.
Andrea Cabrera, Anderson’s neighbor, said residents on other floors were permitted to reenter the building after about an hour, but fourth-floor residents were asked to wait an additional hour before returning home.
Anderson said she and her roommates stayed with neighbors overnight and were assigned a new apartment for the week on Jan. 30. They are able to access their apartment to collect belongings but were asked to stay out for the time being.
The apartment complex, formerly known as Pacific Heights apartments, provides luxury apartments and private rooms for female students, according to its website.
