Kevin Rogers
Editor-in-Chief
A house fire in Allegany over the weekend resulted in the death of one man. Gordon LaFaye, 58, of 1821 W. Franklin St. died from injuries on Sunday morning, the Olean Times Herald reported on Jan. 21. The house is down the street from off-campus student housing.
Julia Anderson, a senior sports studies major, who rents a house down the street, witnessed the early-morning fire.
“The fire was really frightening because I have never seen a house fire that close before,” Anderson said. “Walking outside and seeing the house being engulfed by flames and electricity popping was tough to watch.”
Allegany Fire Chief Rick Stady said the W. Franklin St. fire is still under investigation, noting investigators likely wouldn’t determine the cause for a few weeks. In the meantime, he said the most important thing off-campus residents can do is to be aware of potential fire hazards.
“The best thing is making sure your smoke detectors are working,” he said. “If you’re using candles, make sure you keep them in sight, and put them out when you go, and be aware about cooking safety.”
Anderson said she’s confident her house is well equipped for fire safety, and she and her housemates are prepared to respond to a fire.
“Our landlord and property manager are always helping out with the house and making sure everything is safe and ready for us. We have a fire extinguisher and smoke alarms in every room.” Anderson said. “If we ever had a fire or had to deal with one, depending on how dangerous it is, we could either grab the extinguisher and call for help or put it out ourselves. It really just depends on how intense it is.”
Per the fire code in Allegany, each time there’s a change in house ownership or a new tenant, the house is inspected for safety, Code Enforcement Officer Lance Jobe said.
“That’s a local law, not a state law, so if you’re in Olean, they don’t do that.” Jobe said. “Any time there’s a change in ownership or a new tenant, I go in and inspect the smoke detector, carbon monoxide detectors and do a general safety check.”
Jobe said Allegany does not require fire extinguishers in households. He recommended that students living off-campus avoid using fire extinguishers in case of a fire, as they require certification to use and can delay safe exit from a building. He said the best course of action is to leave the building and call 911.
“We want to get people out of there so we can go in and extinguish the fire,” Jobe said.
Vito Czyz, director of St. Bonaventure safety and security, said there are students living in 45 off-campus housing units, though he wasn’t able to identify the total number of students. Nichole Gonzalez, executive director of residential living, said the university is currently conducting a census to determine the actual number of off-campus students. According to the university website, about 25 percent of total enrolled students live off campus.
Czyz said fire safety information is available on the university’s website and said university officials have distributed materials in person to off-campus residents in the past.
“Student Affairs staff members, along with representatives of the local police department, have visited off-campus houses in the past and distributed fire prevention and other informational materials to students,” he said.
However, Anderson said she never received any sort of fire-safety information from the university when she decided to move off campus. She said this may have resulted from her late decision to move. Elizabeth Roney, a junior English major, living on E. Main St. in Allegany, said she received little information on fire safety from the university.
“I think we got an email to let us know about the fake dorm fire that they have on Dev Lawn but nothing specifically for off-campus living,” Roney said.
Czyz said the best things off-campus students can do to ensure safety is to make sure smoke detectors are working properly and safe exit routes are established. He encouraged off-campus students to reach out to the Allegany Codes Department for additional safety inspections.
Roney said her housing is outfitted with several smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher. However, Roney and her housemates don’t have a set emergency plan when it comes to fires. She said the weekend’s fire would likely change that.
“We do not [have a plan,] and honestly we should,” Roney said. “House fires are extremely scary, and I would never want to be in that kind of situation. It’s great living off campus. At the same time, with no one to constantly check up on you, it’s important to be safe and responsible.”
Rogerskd10@bonaventure.edu
