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Volume 1 Issue 1
KANSAN.COM
Page 3E
HOCH AUDITORIUM CATCHES FIRE REDUCED TO LIMESTONE WALLS
JEFF MEESEY AND ROCHELLE OLSON JUNE 19,1991
The fire that gutted Hoch Auditorium on Saturday afternoon caused more than $12.8 million in damage and drew a crowd of 500 to 600 to Jayhawk Boulevard, KU police said.
Rich Barr, Lawrence fire marshal, said the department received a call that Hoch was on fire at about 3:20 p.m. Firefighters arrived within a few minutes.
Five firefighters immediately entered the burning building and attempted to extinguish the fire on the roof from the third floor balcony, Barr said.
He said the firefighters were ordered to leave the building when parts of the roof began falling.
At 3:55 p.m., the roof collapsed. Barr said.
Arlan Maltby, Lawrence graduate student, said the fire was spectacular. He saw the roof collapse.
"The center went first and a ball of flames shot out of it," Maltby said.
The fire was declared under control at about 7 p.m. Saturday.
A fire is considered under control when its progression has been stopped, it is contained and it is not a threat to other buildings, Barr said.
Because of the intensity of the blaze, fire departments from Overland Park, Shawnee, Lenexa, Wakarusa Township, Eudora and Lexington Township were called to help.
Barr said up to nine fire trucks were on the scene during the fire.
KU police officer Burdel Welsh said control of Hoch was turned over to KU police early Sunday morning.
Maj. Ralph Oliver, assistant
director of KU police. said lightning had been declared the cause of the fire.
Mike McClure, Overland Park senior, said he saw a lightning bolt strike the building.
He was on break from his Fish Kansas class and was standing near the northeast corner of Robinson Center.
McClure said the lightning hit the center of Hochs roof.
The flash was so bright that McClure and several classmates had to look away after it struck.
"We were blinded for a couple of seconds," he said. "I knew immediately that Hoch had a 95 percent chance of going down."
McClure said he called 911 to report the fire after he saw smoke coming from Hoch's roof.
"They said, Yeah, we'll go check it out," McClure said.
Craig Kokesh, Scottsdale, Ariz. senior, was standing in the same area and also saw the strike.
He said the operator did not seem to believe him at first.
He said he saw white smoke coming from the roof as if it were coming from a chimney.
"An hour later, the roof was gone," Kokesh said.
Liz Blass, Lawrence graduate student, said Hoch was an impressive part of campus.
She said she remembered standing in the un-air conditioned Hoch for enrollment.
"I thought, "This is the worst part about going to school," she said.
Lori Reasoner, Lawrence sophomore, said she cried when she found out Hoch was burning.
"I remember coming up here when I was young, and I thought it was really cool" she said. "I thought I would always come here for Vespers and Rock Chalk."
She said she hoped the shell of the building could be saved.
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