- Written by Darryl Woodson
North Randolph Street Fire Update
Wednesday, 5 p.m.
Noah Duncan stood behind the house at 201 N. Randolph St. this afternoon waiting for a locksmith to come and open his car door. The Washington and Lee senior hadn’t locked his keys in the car − he’d lost them, along with most of his other personal possessions, in the fire that swept through the third floor of the gabled brick house in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Duncan had escaped in his coat, pajamas and slippers. Fortunately, he’d been able to slip his cell phone into his coat pocket. Now, he was still wearing the coat and slippers, but he’d bought a new pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt to get through the day.
All 10 students staying in the house last night escaped with no injuries. For that, landlord Wes Perkins, who had arranged for the locksmith to come, is unutterably grateful.
Perkins said he’d learned of the fire only when he woke up this morning and saw multiple messages on his phone. Now, he and his business partners are doing everything they can to make sure all of the displaced students are being helped, including offering them their own homes to stay in on a temporary basis, or even through the school year.
Duncan said he’s already made plans to stay with a friend just down the street.
Still shaken, the student said he’d slept through the fire alarm that went off when the fire broke out some time after 1 a.m. He was woken up by a friend, who saved his life. He used the fire escape at the side of the house to get out. Other students used another exterior staircase in the back or exited in other ways, probably using the front door as well.
Perkins said the house was fully equipped with working fire alarms. He reiterated his thankfulness that no one was hurt in the fire.
MRW LLC has owned and rented out the house since the early part of the 21st century. The stately brick mansion was built in 1893, as the date under the front eaves states. The original owners were the Sheridan family.
W&L Dean of Students Sidney Evans released a statement announcing that the 10 juniors and seniors in the house were unharmed but lost most of their belongings. Her office is working with the students to secure housing and to help obtain basic supplies. Dean Tamara Futrell and Dean Simpson will be coordinating much of the response. The university has notified all faculty members who are currently teaching the affected students as well as the students’ advisors.
“I know everyone in our community joins us in supporting these students during this difficult time,” said Evans.
Wednesday, Feb. 10 – A fire overnight at an apartment building on Randolph Street has caused significant damage to the third floor and roof and displaced its occupants.
Lexington Fire Chief Ty Dickerson reported that at 1:44 a.m., the Lexington Fire Department and surrounding mutual aid agencies (Buena Vista, Kerrs Creek, South River and Glasgow departments) were dispatched to 201 N. Randolph St. for a reported apartment fire with flames visible.
LFD, he said, had two fire units already on scene on Jefferson Street responding to a false fire alarm. They immediately cleared that incident after checking the building and the first unit arrived on the scene on Randolph Street in three minutes, seeing heavy fire coming through the roof of a three-story occupied apartment building.
Dickerson said firefighters initially concentrated on ensuring that the residents were evacuated from the burning structure and then began attacking the fire. “The occupants were extremely lucky to have escaped unharmed from such a well advanced and fast moving fire,” said Dickerson. The incident commander requested a second alarm assignment be dispatched for additional manpower on the scene.
Significant fire damage occurred to the third-floor apartments and the attic/roof of the structure, said Dickerson. Other areas sustained smoke and water damage but the fire was contained to the third floor.
All occupants, he said, have been displaced indefinitely because of the fire and have been assisted by friends and Washington and Lee University with finding temporary alternative housing.
The cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation by the Lexington Fire Department. Temperatures around 20 degrees caused significant icing of streets and firefighting equipment and made a challenging fire even more difficult for responding firefighters, said Dickerson.
He said the Lexington Fire Department reminds everyone to have working smoke detectors, check them regularly, and have and practice a fire escape plan with their family.
Photographs are courtesy of the Lexington Fire Department.
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