2019 Governors Dorm Fire
In 2019, a student in Dewey Hall in the Governors Complex set her dorm room on fire when violating dorm policy by placing a space heater between the bed and the wall. $50,000 worth of damage was done. [1]
Details of Fire
On November 10, 2019, students smelled smoke around 10:45 AM and roughly 800 students had to be evacuated. [2] Local firefighters managed to put out the fire quickly, but significant damage was already done.
Aftermath
UPD initially reported the fire appeared to be caused by a heater. The student claimed a UB dorm heater, behind her dresser, caused the fire. The student in question stated that she did not have renters insurance. Fire investigators finished analyzing the scene by 4:30 PM and relocated the girls to Creekside Village for temporary housing. The girl in question had the audacity to criticize the university for leaving them "without basic needs" like soap and toilet paper[2].
A GoFundMe page was started for the students and $1,730 was raised (as of May 21, 2025) to help the student since she lost most of her belongings including her laptop, wallet, and clothing. The student withdrew from UB for the rest of the semester but has since graduated.