Arson suspected in fire

The fire kindled near the stairwell in the basement.\nIt wasn't long before the flames licked at combustibles stored under the stairs. \nGlutting themselves on oxygen, the flames reached a ceiling temperature of about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Spontaneous ignition occurred.\nThe flames rocketed up the stairs, engulfing everything in their path. \nThe fire, which started about 2:15 a.m. Sunday, razed the Maple Leaf Apartment complex, leaving 16 residents homeless.\nAnd it wasn't an accident, a Bloomington fire investigator said.\nSteve Cottingham, chief fire investigator for the Bloomington Fire Department, said it's a clear case of arson. \n"The location rules out an accident," he said. "There's no point of origin. If someone had just dropped a lit cigarette, the prolonged smoldering process would have set off the fire alarms much sooner. It spread too rapidly." \nThe fire's location prevented residents from escaping down the stairs, and it spread rapidly into the halls, trapping many in their rooms. They were lucky to get out with their lives, Cottingham said. \n"Fortunately, they only suffered minor injuries," he said. "There were only a few minor cases of smoke insulation, and a young woman suffered some burns on her hand when she touched the doorknobs."\nThe residents escaped by playing by the book, Cottingham said.\n"They did all the things you're taught to do in grade school," he said. "They put towels on the doors and all got out of the buildings through the windows." \nAnd Cottingham said the firefighters also did admirable work.\n"When they got there, they fortunately realized the nature of the fire," he said. "They didn't send men in. They immediately used the ladder and had the fire out in about two to three minutes."\nThe University offered temporary housing to the fire victims Monday.\n"It's what we do whenever we have a situation like this," said Bruce Jacobs, associate vice chancellor for administrative affairs. "As far as I know, no one's taken it up yet. Sometimes they know some friends who they can stay with."\nAs of yet, there are no suspects in the case. The Bloomington Police Department has not yet opened a formal investigation, Capt. Joe Qualters said. \nThe searing heat wiped out any evidence at the scene of the crime, Cottingham said.\n"All we know is that they didn't use accelerants or flammable fluids," he said. "There wasn't any residue. I've been talking with police, and we'll be working on this"