Why was Humphreys Hall on fire?

It was 6:15 a.m. on November 26 when a first-year student, whose identity has been withheld for privacy reasons, collected various forms of firecrackers, threw them in a half-full trashcan in the laundry room of Humphreys Hall, and lit them on fire. Creating a situation of danger “was not intentional at all,” said someone close with the first-year student, who agreed to speak anonymously. (The first-year student could not be reached for comment.)

Within minutes of the fire, smoke ascended the stairways and triggered fire alarms. Officers from Campus Police and the Hoboken Fire Department stormed Humphreys, removing students from their rooms and ushering them to the Howe Center. Some students were escorted in pajamas. Others, with not enough time to secure warm clothing, sat in Pierce Dining Hall in underwear, swathed in blankets provided by staff members.

A student and a police officer were treated for smoke inhalation at Humphreys. The student refused further medical attention, according to a campus announcement, but the police officer later received additional treatment at the hospital.

At 8:30 a.m., officials deemed the building as safe, and students reentered Humphreys Hall as additional cleanup and ventilation steps were undertaken. Police officials also began an investigation to determine the origin of the fire. “The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office was notified,” said Marybeth Murphy, Vice President of Student Affairs, “and the Prosecutor’s Office investigation led to the arrest of a Stevens student.”

Murphy said that the first-year student acted alone and that “this was an isolated incident.” She also added that the first-year student is suspended and not permitted on campus.