RAYMOND, Miss. (WJTV) – A fire at Williams Hall dormitory at Hinds Community College in Raymond has left hundreds of students looking for a place to stay.
Campus leaders have been meeting all day today trying to come up with a plan.
WJTV was told the last time there was a fire this serious on campus was back in the 90’s after a lightning strike.
Since the fire on Monday, campus leaders have been trying to come up with a plan to accommodate incoming students.
“It’s pretty much devastating. Everything that I had in this dorm is pretty much gone.”
Alvin Wilson is a linebacker for Hinds Community College in Raymond.
Wilson, who lived in Williams Hall, traveled in from Lexington Tuesday to see the damage for himself.
“I’m not really worried about materialistic things, I’m just glad that nobody was hurt and everything is okay,” said Wilson. “I heard it on the news so, me, my mom, and my dad we came up here and I just pretty much wanted to see how it really looked.”
“Its 70-years-old and it went pretty quickly.”
The L-shaped dorm was built in 1947.
The damage is visible on one side, but throughout the halls of both, there is extensive water and smoke damage.
“We are looking at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center, what possibility that might be. The most likely thing is we will be able to take care of the students for the fall, based on the students who decide not to come and claim the rooms they reserved or change their mind and want to live at home and not the residence halls,” said Theresa Hamilton with Hinds Community College.
The campus is also exploring the idea of students doubling up and setting up temporary housing in available locations.
A lot of that is still to be determined, but for now everyone agrees on one thing.
“I am truly grateful that nobody got hurt in this incident,” said Wilson.
“We are very thankful that no one was hurt. We all know that things can be replaced and we’re very thankful for that,” said Hamilton.
“That’s the best part, that nobody got hurt. Material things; you can replace that, but you can’t replace a life,” said Wilson.
Leaders say they have not been briefed by fire officials on the extent of the damage, but that both sides have been affected.
The school is also working to collect gift cards from the public to help students replaced damaged items.
