The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

The official student newspaper of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1923.

The Spectator

Student house damaged by fire

For the third time this semester, a fire in student housing has displaced its tenants.

Sophomores Jamie Cleeremans, Jessica Hoppe, Jeanne Martin and Lindsay Van De Hei were relocated Saturday night after a fire broke out at their 138 Chippewa St. residence.

According to the fire department’s report, firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 7:16 a.m. when the fire was noticed by a passing off-duty police officer.

No one was home at the time of the fire. Cleeremans returned home in the morning after spending the night at a friend’s house to find firefighters there. Hoppe and Van De Hei, who were home in Green Bay for the weekend, were notified of the fire by Cleeremans at about 9 a.m. Saturday.

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Fire officials estimated damage to the house, owned by John Mogensen, at about $35,000.

“Right now we have no idea what’s going to happen,” said Hoppe on Sunday, adding that she and the others probably will stay with friends until they can move back into the house.

Although she didn’t know how much of her own belongings were lost in the fire, Hoppe said she will be covered under her parents’ homeowner’s insurance. Because the fire originated in Cleeremans’ room on the second floor, she lost most of her belongings, Hoppe said.

Another bedroom in the upstairs had minor damage and the downstairs sustained only smoke damage.

The group had lived in the house since June, and planned to move out in May.

Fire detectors were on both floors of the house, but it was unknown if they were operable at the time of the fire, according to the report. The fire is under investigation.

A fire on Jan. 7 in the apartments above the Camaraderie, 442 Water St., displaced four university students and one Chippewa Valley Technical College student.

Another fire on Jan. 25 at 106 Catherine St. displaced two former university students and one CVTC student.

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Student house damaged by fire