BREAKING: Car catches fire in Lot K

Campus Safety and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department investigate a series of explosions that resulted in an on-campus fire.

Natalie Willis, Lacey Patrick, and Emily Coffey • March 14, 2021

Photo courtesy of Maria Weyne // THE CHIMES

This article is being updated as soon as new information comes in.

On March 14, a car located in Lot K by Horton Hall caught fire. The incident was reported at 6:04 p.m., and Campus Safety has involved the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department. Authorities are still assessing the situation to determine the cause of the fire.

Campus Safety alerted students in an email to avoid upper campus due to heavy police presence at the parking structure. The fire department is assessing the situation although the cause is still unknown. More details are to come.

At 7:14 p.m. Campus Saftey alerted students that the situation was resolved. The third floor of Lot K and above will be closed until further notice.

Freshman journalism major Josh Craig was walking through the parking structure when he said he saw the car owner attempting to put out flames in the back of his van. The owner, along with a few onlookers, fled the structure as the flames began to engulf the van. As soon as Craig reached the bottom floor of the structure, he heard an explosion coming from the scene.

No students were harmed, according to Chief John Ojeiskhoba of Campus Safety. Ojeiskhoba was on a run near campus when the explosions happened and jogged to the scene.

“[Campus Safety’s] primary role is to make sure students are safe,” Ojeiskhoba said. “So they cordoned off the area, got students away, assessed what they could view or smell; they relay to the campus safety 911 operator, and that was passed on to the external 911 system as well.”

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About the Contributors

Natalie Willis, Editor-in-Chief

Natalie Willis is a junior journalism major who loves golden retrievers, Wes Anderson movies and rainy days. Hi! I am from Bakersfield, CA, land of cows and oil rigs. Growing up on a farm with a veterinarian father, I assumed I would follow in his footsteps to pursue a career in agriculture. God had other plans. Reluctantly, I listened but had every intention to switch my major from journalism to pretty much anything else. Half way through my freshman year, I was working on a portfolio project which involved pitching ideas, interviewing sources and telling a story—suddenly, everything clicked into place. I loved what I was doing, who I was meeting and where I thought I could go. God has a way of telling us we are on the right path and I have felt that throughout my college career. Three years ago, if someone told me I would be the editor-in-chief of a student news publication I would have politely advised them to seek counseling. Now, I cannot imagine a life without tight story deadlines and strict adherence to AP style. I am so excited to lead The Chimes this year as we enter into a new era of print media.

Lacey Patrick, Editor-in-Chief

Lacey Patrick is a junior journalism major who collects feathers, wears too much jewelry, and works too many jobs. A year ago I had never written a news article. Now, I’m editor-in-chief of an entire student news publication. I had originally transferred to Biola as a Psychology major, but just three days before classes started, I had a revelation after watching the movie “Spotlight” at a Chimes training. I always felt dissatisfied with a career that did not help people. But journalism does. It gives a voice to the voiceless and holds leadership accountable. When I was a girl, I used to write poems and short stories. I grew up in the forest, so of course my mind wandered to fairytales quite often. I’ve always expressed myself in the most unstructured sense, never following the rules of writing because my pen had no bounds. Yet, structure became essential to my stories when I began writing news. It felt almost unnatural. It was a skill I had to refine, but it came quickly once my editors ripped my first few articles to shreds. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, though. God has a funny way of taking us out of our comfort zone.

Emily Coffey, Managing Editor

Emily Coffey is a senior broadcast journalism major who loves John Mayer, Bernese Mountain Dogs and high fives. [email protected] I grew up in the beautiful state of Oregon, which provided a lot of opportunities for adventures like white water rafting, mountain biking, and hiking. During a three-month stint in Nepal with my family (I was homeschooled), I got to document the lives of 13 women who had undergone some form of human trafficking, medical neglect, or family abuse. From here, I found my passion for storytelling. Though I came to Biola as a music major, I started working at the Chimes my freshman year and quickly made the switch to broadcast journalism. My love of verbal and written communication, especially in storytelling, soon blossomed into a love of visual storytelling. Now, I work for the Chimes and am heavily involved in many other student media organizations. You can find me covering a story, interviewing students about their artwork, at the beach, or running.