At approximately 7:40 p.m., a community member’s car caught fire in the main parking lot near Clark Library. Two students, Anthony Lucero and Isaac Kelly, helped the community member extinguish the flames shortly after the car ignited, using fire extinguishers from Clark Library and the Pilot House.
Other nearby students also assisted by throwing water on the car while it was on fire. The fire was out within minutes.
Portland Fire & Rescue was on the scene shortly after the fire was put out, and no injuries were reported, according to Campus Safety. It is unknown at this time how the fire started.
Lucero was sitting by the window overlooking the parking lot doing his homework when he heard screaming coming from the parking lot and saw the car engulfed in flames.
“I just ran, grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher, ran through the exit, hit the alarm, and just came out here and tried to put it out,” Lucero said.
Similarly, Kelly was walking with a group of friends near the Pilot House when they noticed smoke coming from a car in the parking lot. Once Kelly realized the car was in flames, he ran to grab a fire extinguisher from the Pilot House to help put out the flames.
“We managed to get the fire to stop and everything, but it took a bunch of people,” Kelly said. “I am just really happy she is alright, and she has her stuff.”
Kimberly Cortez is the Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon. They can be reached at cortez25@up.edu.
Camille Kuroiwa-Lewis is the Living Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at kuroiwal26@up.edu.
