A fire broke out in a student’s room in Strong House Monday, April 7 at 9:54 p.m. The College reported in an email to campus that the incident arose after a portable phone charger exploded in a student’s hand with said student sustaining minor injuries. The charger malfunction created a small fire in the student’s room, triggering the building’s fire alarm and sprinkler system, which caused water damage to parts of the dormitory. Emergency Management Lieutenant Gary Hulbert confirmed that the Strong sprinkler system extinguished the fire before the Fire Department arrived and caused little fire damage to the room.
The lithium-ion batteries used in some portable phone chargers have been known to explode. Hulbert explained in a written correspondence with The Miscellany News, “Basic lithium ion batteries contain a flammable solvent that is easily ignited when the battery experiences an uncontrolled discharge of stored electrical energy. High quality Lithium Ion batteries can safely operate through thousands of recharge cycles, whereas poorly made batteries have caused the majority of battery fires.” He continued, “It’s also important to use the battery that’s recommended for the specific device that’s being charged.”
Rameen Gondal ’26, a Strong resident, shared of her experience Monday night, “We were in our rooms, and then the fire alarm went off and we went outside and it seemed pretty usual until some of our other friends came down and said that they could smell smoke and then we were like, ‘Oh, maybe it’s not usual.’” After exiting the building, Gondal observed smoke emissions from a window while it was being hosed down by the Arlington Fire Department.
Lerie Marasigan ’26 was not in their room at the time of the fire alarm but returned to Strong after receiving a text from a friend: “I was only outside for about 10–15 minutes until the Vassar grounds security people said we couldn’t go back in. Good news and bad news: the good news was mostly everyone’s stuff was okay, nothing was destroyed. The bad news was that we couldn’t return back to Strong for like two to three hours.”
At 1:11 a.m., the student body received an email from Hulbert notifying residents they would be able to return to their rooms, except for two students and Assistant Professor of Psychological Science and Strong House Fellow Lori Newman. Two subsequent fire alarms went off later that same night. Strong House President Sola Arowolo reported the alarm went off at 2:52 a.m. and again an hour later. The ordeal took its toll on residents; Arowolo shared that they were not able to attend class the next day after not being able to sleep: “My head was pounding from the migraine, the noise, and the flashing lights. My body was exhausted, and getting out of bed felt impossible. The whole thing was awful.”
Newman was among one of the affected residents of Strong. Newman’s apartment was located beneath the room of the original fire and sustained significant water damage, including her dining room flooding. Newman commented on the expected repairs of her apartment in a written correspondence with The Miscellany News: “Unfortunately and understandably, we don’t have a timeline for repairs yet. Strong is an old building (the first residential house on campus!) and it will take time to assess and plan how to rebuild the space.” Newman added, “I want to thank the Arlington Fire Department as well as Vassar safety and security, facilities, res life [Residential Life], and especially Bianca Keesler and Dean Carlos Alamo who worked to both assess the situation and find places for me and the student affected to stay.”
However, not all residents felt as supported. Arowolo said of Vassar’s response, “Honestly, what was most disappointing was how unprepared Vassar seemed to be when it came to supporting us. There was no designated space for Strong residents to go during those hours we were displaced. We had to figure it out on our own. Crashing in friends’ rooms, finding common areas, just making it work. Some people couldn’t go back to their rooms at all because of water damage from the sprinklers or how close they were to the fire.” They continued, “I really hope this experience pushes Vassar to think more deeply about what real support during emergencies looks like. This shouldn’t be the blueprint for how students are treated in moments of crisis.”
In light of the incident, Strong House has remained a tight-knit community. Arowolo remarked, “We were all shaken up, but we tried to make the most of it. We made new friends while waiting around and shared a strange kind of togetherness when the alarm went off two more times that night. It was a mess, but if there’s one thing Strong knows how to do, it’s support each other. We’re resilient, it’s kind of in the name.” Newman expressed similar sentiments reflecting on the fire’s impact, “It will take time, but I do think the students are doing an incredible job and are relying on the close knit community of Strong House to get through this together. I have been comforted by the support they have shown me and each other.”
To prevent future battery-related fires, Hulbert recommends checking for a testing mark from a Nationally Recognized Testing Lab (NRTL), ensuring damaged batteries are disposed of properly and purchasing products with newer battery chemistries like lithium iron phosphate (LFP).