The Great Johnstone Fire

Aug 11, 2012, 8:46 AM

I was an eye witness to the fire, because I was the one who found it. I think it was the spring of 1976 or 1977. I was lying on my bunk in my on E-5 hall studying. I smelled smoke and noticed it blow by my window. I figured my net door neighbors were playing a prank on me by burning something on the ledge outside my window. You must understand that we never worried about fire, because Johnstone was concrete floors, aluminum walls and asbestos covered ceilings.

I went to the window and looking to my left, I saw the curtains of the next room burning at the window! I ran next door and opened it to find the far right corner of the room engulfed in flames. I grabbed a trash can and ran to the bathroom to fill it up in an attempt to put out the fire. I ran back and opened the dorm room door. When I did I saw the entire room in flames and a blast of hot air blew me back. Fortunately, I kept my hand on the door knob, and slammed the door.

I then ran the the hall monitor's room and alerted him and we went up and down the hall knocking on doors and getting folks out. I ran back to my room to grab my books and stereo. As I was trying to carry all of my stuff out the monitor grabbed me and made me leave my stereo and evacuate.

We ran out into the quad below E-5 and watched the room burn while we waited for the fire Dept to arrive. When they did it was hilarious! The truck's ladder would not reach the room. They finally got hoses going and poured water into the room.

After the fire was out, I was allowed to go to my room next door to see what I could recover. My room was hardly damaged! Every thing on the adjoining wall was charred by the intense heat radiating from the fire. My posters and pin- up girls were charred around the edges, but I had no water damage and very little smoke damage. The rooms above the fire had heavy smoke damage and the room below was flooded.

I had to give a deposition on the what I saw when I first opened the door. The fire was ultimately blamed on a faulty refrigerator that caught the curtains and other furnishing on fire. It was later that semester before I learned the rest of the story...

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my freshman year, 1996, in Johnston F. He started by putting papa john's boxes in the ovens and turning them on then leaving.

Then graduated to pouring lighter fluid in the big drum trashcans that were at the end of the halls. Had one burning outside my front door one night since my room was right next to the stairwell on F3.

a month or two later he threw one of those burning trash cans into somebody's room while two guys were sleeping. Police started getting serous and finally caught the guy can't remember how though.

Man we must have had the fire alarm go off 50 times that year......sucked so bad.

Same year, same hall that had the kids suspected in the Natalie Holloway murder...those two guys were my neighbors.

The Great Johnstone Fire

I forgot to mention simultaneous combustion

what is simultaneous combustion? Aluminum is non combustible

We had somewhat of a fire on one of the floors, while

Re: We had somewhat of a fire on one of the floors, while

Preach, my memory fails me at times, but during our days

I can't wait until you get time to publish the

After thinking about it I think i will stop here

the closets were made of plywood

At the least 2 rooms are burned.....

I had always heard it was a still that took fire....

Some funny stories...lol***

We had an arsonist

Re: We had an arsonist- 2 guys in the holloway crime

yes, the two main suspects lived next door to me.

I think you mean Brooke Holsonback?

yep, i'm embarrested I got them confused.......***

Amazing friends ... and the house fire on Freedom Dr.

University Ridge was the worst fire in Clemson

1 week or so later a fire burned up an apartment, down

That was a crazy night. I have video of the fire when the

It pretty much was a miracle.***

Why didn't you text 9-1-1!?!? :)***

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