As fire safety personnel for each campus, I draw your attention to the
following BOCA code requirement.  (I would expect the other model codes to
have similar provisions although I cannot verify it at this time.) Failure
to know and enforce these code provision (or any similar provision) leaves
the school in a dangerous liability position, not to mention your
professional reputations.

Although many of you do not have the force of law, if you are in a BOCA
National Fire Code Section 403.8 specifies that bonfires cannot be more than
5' x 5' by 5' high.

We use this standard for our area bonfires and rigorously enforce it.  This
prevents the creation of "jumbo" piles of misc. stuff that creates nothing
less than a house of cards that made this tragedy possible.

Paul Sincaglia P.E.
Firesafety Solutions, Inc.
Fire Protection Engineers, Managers and Consultants
Chagrin Falls, OH
440.247.3770


> -----Original Message-----
> From: International Association of Campus Fire Safety Officials
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of David Chaplin, CFPS
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 8:59 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Tragedy at Texas A&M
>
>
> This was just forwarded from a co-worker. James Ranier is the Fire Marshal
> at Texas A&M in Health & Safety Dept. They are very proud of their
> Homecoming celebration and its tradition, as are we. Please send
> encouragement to James (we just met in Oct.) and be reminded that
> this could
> happen at any of our institutions !
> (Remember UNC a couple of years ago)
>
> (James B. Ranier at <[log in to unmask]>)
> ******************************************************************
> **********
> **************
> 4 Texas students crushed to death while building bonfire
>
>                   November 18, 1999
>                   Web posted at: 8:01 AM EST (1301 GMT)
>
>                   COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Four college
> students were
> killed
>                   and several others injured Thursday after logs they were
> stacking for an
>                   annual bonfire event collapsed and crushed
> them, officials
> said.
>
>                   Three students were still trapped under logs as crews
> tried to free them.
>
>                   As many as 50 Texas A&M university students
> were on top of
> the stack of
>                   logs when the accident happened early Thursday morning,
> according to
>                   university officials.
>
>                   University spokesman Cynthia Lawson said that up to 16
> students had been
>                   transported to St. Joseph Regional Health Center,
> according to the
>                   Bryan-College Station Eagle newspaper.
>
>                   At the hospital, spokesman Bill Hyer said the
> hospital was
> expecting more
>                   victims to be brought there.
>
>                   Hyer said there were reports that more students
> were still
> trapped in the
>                   structure's rubble, but he refused to release further
> details.
>
>                   A bonfire is built each year by A&M students to
> show their
> burning desire to
>                   beat the University of Texas.
>
> *****************************************************************
> David Chaplin, CFPS
> University Fire Inspector
> Virginia Tech -- Environmental Health & Safety Services
> 459 Tech Center Drive,  Blacksburg,  VA   24061
> Office:  540-231-2341 / 231-5985         FAX:  231-3944
> http://www.ehss.vt.edu
> *****************************************************************
>