Arson suspected after fire at GCU apartments in Phoenix displaces 24 students

PHOENIX – An arson investigation was launched after a weekend fire at Grand Canyon University displaced two dozen students, authorities said.

Two small fires were set Sunday morning in the third-floor study lounge of the Agave Apartments on the campus of the Phoenix private school near 35th Avenue and Camelback Road, according to a GCU spokesman.

The six-story residential building’s sprinkler system automatically deployed and the school’s emergency text system instructed students to avoid the area.

The dorm, which houses nearly 700 students, was already evacuated by the time Phoenix Fire Department crews arrived around 9:30 a.m. and made sure the flames were fully extinguished.

What was damaged in Grand Canyon University dorm fire?

Fire damage was limited to one piece of furniture in the study lounge, but six suites, which each house four students, sustained water and smoke damage, the school said.

The 24 residents impacted have been relocated to other campus housing.

The Phoenix Fire Arson Investigations Task Force took over the investigation and is working with campus police and school administrators on the case.

No arrests had been made as of Monday morning.

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