By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Firefighters from five companies extinguished a blaze
early this morning at the University of Hawaii Campus Center.
Investigators say the fire was likely caused by an arsonist.

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Arson shuts down
UH Campus Center

The campus book store
and many eateries are closed
because of damage from the fire

By Pat Omandam
and Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

Arson is the likely cause of an early morning blaze that closed the cafeteria and several fast-food restaurants at the University of Hawaii today, investigators said.

The eateries, which serve about 2,500 customers a day, will remain closed indefinitely, said Ralph Nakamoto, university food service director.

The rest of the Campus Center, which was full of smoke this morning, could reopen as early as tomorrow, officials said.

Fire investigators said the blaze started at 4:05 a.m. in three places: two in the second-floor kitchen and one in a ground-floor dumpster area behind the game room.

The fires in the kitchen started in a dry storage area and a conveyor-style dishwasher.

Fire investigators have preliminarily ruled the fire as arson, said university spokesman Jim Manke. Laboratory technicians will take samples to determine if an accelerant was used.

Capt. Donald F. Dawson of campus security said the Campus Center manager, who lives in the building, made his last rounds at midnight and didn't notice anything unusual.

After the fire, however, inspectors noticed that two doors allowing access into the building were rigged to stay unlocked.

One of those doors was apparently damaged, Dawson said, and the other was stuffed with paper so the lock couldn't be secured.

Dawson speculates that once inside, the arsonist took a freight elevator from the fourth floor down to the second floor cafeteria, where the fire was started.

Both service entrances to the kitchen were burned as a result of the fire.

The executive dining room, where University of Hawaii officials host luncheon meetings, sustained water damage.

University spokeswoman Cheryl Ernst said the only two areas open in the campus center today were the copying facilities and an information ticketing operation.

The book store and a game room, located on the ground floor, suffered smoke damage, but didn't appear to have been damaged by water, Ernst said.

Ernst said there were no major activities slated for the campus center today, but she didn't know how long the facility, which houses the university's student government operations and several conference rooms, will remain closed.

The fire came as the university students enter the final two weeks of the spring semester. Final exams will begin May 12.

Carol Wallace, a sophomore, stopped by the center to buy paper and pens for a class today but found the book store was closed.

Ryan Gonzales, a freshman, said his usual routine in the morning is to pick up a doughnut at the snack shop and later have lunch in the cafeteria.

"It's kind of junk," he said. "It's a bummer. I'm hungry, too."