Cobb 4th floor closed for year

Fourth-floor residents in Cobb Residence Hall won’t be able to move back into their rooms for the rest of the academic year after a fire ripped through the dorm’s attic Tuesday afternoon.

Cobb residents from all floors were not able to sleep in the dorm Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The Department of Housing and Residential Education asked students to stay with friends on campus or request a new room assignment from the department.

Students were given the opportunity Wednesday night during a three-hour window of time to retrieve their belongings with the help of housing officials.

“We don’t know the official cause of the fire,” said Rick Bradley, associate director of the housing department. “We are probably days away from identifying a specific cause to the fire.”

Bradley said inspectors were still working and would have more information in the coming days.

“There is state construction and there are inspection issues that are going on. So this is bigger than the University of North Carolina administrative staff making decisions,” he said.

Bradley said the best news from the situation is that everyone involved is safe. He said contractors would begin remodeling work on Cobb as soon as the affected students remove their belongings.

He said the first focus for contractors is air quality in the building.

“Then we start to focus more on restoration process,” Bradley said.

Bradley said fourth-floor residents have been assigned permanent residence in open rooms around campus.

In an email to Cobb residents, Bradley encouraged them to check whether their insurance policies would cover damaged belongings — those students with renter’s insurance were encouraged to contact their insurance agent.

“If you do not have renter’s insurance, please contact your family/guardian and determine whether they have a rider on their insurance policy that would cover your belongings while at college,” Bradley said in the email.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp said he was impressed by the timely response of all involved in Tuesday’s incident — especially the firefighters who helped put out the flames.

“This community shows its best when the worst things happen,” he said.

But Crisp said the logistical challenges in the days to come would be the most difficult part of the incident.

“The real challenge is the 380 residents in the hall and finding them lodging,” he said.

Athene Wright lived in one of the six rooms on the fourth floor that have been damaged most seriously. She said she didn’t know the extent of what happened to the rooms, but the building still smells of smoke.

She said despite the unfortunate situation, she was happy with the University’s actions.

“They’ve been working really, really hard to get us settled and they’ve been great,” Wright said.

She said she has not been allowed to enter her room since the fire, and the loss of the majority of her belongings would be the most difficult thing to deal with.

“Whatever will happen happens and I can’t change that. It’s kind of upsetting — and I know that it was a difficult night, but what can you do?”

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