At 1 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 18, Ottawa Fire Services were called to the University of Ottawa campus to put out a flaming bookshelf in the arts building.
A spokesperson for the Ottawa Fire Service said that a full bookshelf was brought to the third floor landing in stairwell B and lit on fire.
Some burnt garbage was also found in stairwell A.
In addition to smoke damage to the third, fourth, and fifth floors, there is some water damage on the second floor where a hose cabinet was used to extinguish the flames.
The estimated damages are approximately $10,000.
Standing five stories high at 70 Laurier Avenue East, the arts building has been housing six different departments in the Faculty of Arts for almost 20 years.
Ottawa Police and university security have classified the incident as “arson/vandalism.”
A police investigation is ongoing.
No suspects have yet to be identified.
