U-Circle fire effects still linger for some

By Zac Haughn
Independent Collegian
Published: Monday, March 22, 2004

Each time Mara Hostetler leaves her house, she goes through a routine.

She makes sure the gas stove is off and all burning candles are extinguished, and then takes a final glance for any other possible fire hazards.

"I go over it every time I leave my house," said Hostetler, who graduated from UT last spring with a degree in nursing.

Hostetler was one of 261 students affected by the fire that destroyed part of the University Circle apartment complex at 3414 Dorr St. She lived in one of the 26 apartments that burned down.

The fire has given Hostetler a new appreciation for the basic necessity of a home.

"It's something you take for granted until it happens to you," she said.

Nearly a year and a half after fire destroyed parts of U-Circle on Nov. 16, victims of the fire still feel the effects today.

Nick Stahm, a resident of the apartment building opposite the engulfed building at the time of the fire and a UT alum, said he was sleeping when the fire started, and was awakened by phone calls from another resident in the apartment.

"I walked out in the hallway and didn't see any smoke or any people, so I wasn't that concerned," he said. "And then I walked into my room and saw my blinds were glowing red. I pulled the blinds up and saw flames coming 40 to 50 feet off the building."

Stahm said he packed personal items and left his complex. Once outside, his landlord asked him and other residents to return to the buildings not affected by the fire to ensure they were vacated.

The reconstruction of the complex continues, but Mary Farmer, landlord of U-Circle, declined to comment.

Stahm said his apartment was designated as heavily damaged by smoke, but Stahm suffered no major losses.

He said the fire left a lasting impression on him, and he now has an insurance plan and takes all fire precautions.

Sarah Hudak, a resident of the building where the fire started, was not as fortunate. Hudak, who graduated from UT last spring with a degree in psychology, said she lost all her possessions in the fire.

"My laptop, TV, DVD player and everything else," she said. "Just gone."

Hudak said the $7,000 in damages was covered by her insurance plan, but the fire destroyed what could not be replaced.

"I lost four photo albums that covered the last four years of history; a lot of sorority paraphernalia," she said. "A lot of special stuff."

Hudak said she stayed in a room at the Red Roof Inn provided by The American Red Cross, and called UT's assistance in the transition "incredible."

"I was extremely relieved that they were so helpful, even though technically we weren't part of their student housing," she said.

UT leases certain U-Circle apartments to students, but the ones affected by the fire were not the responsibility of UT.

"They treated it like it was their responsibility and helped us any way they could," Hudak said.

Brian Nally, a fourth-year student majoring in electrical engineering and resident of U-Circle at the time of the fire, echoed Hudak's feelings about UT's assistance.

Nally said UT set up a room for him at the International House and gave him a week's worth of food, free of charge.

UT held a clothing drive, notified the instructors of all fire victims and provided temporary housing in The Crossings, Hudak said.

The feeling of loss ultimately set in at a meeting at The Crossings when officials listed each apartment destroyed by the fire.

"I'll never forget what it was like the day when we were in The Crossings and they read the list of the apartments that were destroyed," Hudak said. "You saw it in flames, but when they said, 'everything you have is gone,' two of my friends just completely broke down."

Stahm said the tragedy of the fire brought he and his friends closer.

"My friends and I realized that was probably the first time in a year since we had all gotten together when we all met up in the temporary shelter the Red Cross set up," he said. "It kind of pulled everyone back together."
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Top photo: Nick Landrum/ for The IC
University Circle Building A is still being reconstructed 16 months after a fire destroyed 26 apartments, primarily housing UT students.

Bottom photo: Brian Nally/ for The IC
University Circle Building A at 6:53 a.m. Nov. 16, 2002. Thirty-nine UT students lost all their possessions and many more had to deal with smoke and water damage. The fire affected 261 students.