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Outing Cabin Fire Causes Damage and Concern on Sweet Briar Campus
By Lauren Hogan '10
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On March 25 at approximately 11:45 a.m., the outhouse at Sweet Briar’s outing cabin caught fire.

Early Sunday afternoon, members of Sweet Briar faculty noticed smoke rising from woods on the campus property. Amherst Fire and Forestry Departments arrived on the scene at 12:05, using a bulldozer to contain the fire.

Nothing could be done to save the outing cabin’s only bathroom, which was reduced to a mere hole in the ground. The fire also burned an acre of land and singed two 8x8 timbers on the back side of the cabin, resulting in minor cosmetic damage.

This past Easter, a week after the fire, marked the outing cabin’s 71st year. In 1936, it was built by the athletic association to provide students with a place to relax on campus. The outhouse was replaced in 1995 due to much needed repairs.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. According to SWEBOP department head Laura Staman, “the students who had been using the cabin came back Sunday morning and dropped off the key to campus safety. They didn’t notice anything unordinary when they left.”

According to SWEBOP rules, if students have built a fire during their stay, they must put it out and remove all ash from the fireplace into a metal bucket. The students must then pour water on top of the residue and once there is no trace of heat left, students are told to dump the remains onto a pile located in the woods.

Although the students followed these rules accordingly, fire department workers believe that a stray ember escaped the pile and was left unnoticed. They explained that because of recent dry weather it has been easy for anything to catch on fire.

The students involved have set a goal to install a new outhouse by the end of the semester. They will work with physical plant staff member Tom Shelton to build the surrounding structure, while Co-Curricular life will fund the $500 to replace the toilet.

“The fire was an accident and the students were already issued a bill; we didn’t want them to worry about one more thing,” said Staman, in regards to who would fund the new outhouse.

“It was devastating to see all the trees destroyed; we could not believe something could change that quick. We were in shock!” commented one of the involved students.

The students were issued a bill for $360 from the Virginia Department of Forestry, which they chose to pay since SWEBOP stated they would cover the previously mentioned expenses.

The Department of Forestry charges for services based on hourly time, miles to get there, and payment for part-time firefighters. The students did not receive any bills from the local Amherst Fire Department as they are, “a volunteer service run through donations.”

In the future, SWEBOP will place emphasis on ashes remaining in the fireplace when students stay at the cabin. A SWEBOP instructor will also go to the cabin and remove ashes from time to time so that they do not build up. Firemen have also made recommendations to place half an oil drum at the cabin to be used to dump and stir the hot ash in.