BREAKING: No injuries reported after fire devastates Arthur Vick accommodation block

Emergency services were called to Arthur Vick residences at the University of Warwick on Wednesday evening (19 November) after a fire broke out on the second floor of the building.

Videos seen by The Boar and shared on social media showed Arthur Vick 1 engulfed by flames, with smoke rising from the accommodation block.

Nine fire vehicles and a police car attended the fire at the height of the incident, which occurred shortly before 8.40pm. Crews from six local fire stations were in attendance.

Ambulances were also seen leaving the University campus following the blaze, although the University has confirmed to The Boar that no injuries were reported. 

The fire has now been fully contained, with photos sent to The Boar shortly before midnight showing a hole left in the roof of the accommodation block by the blaze.

The fire was fully contained late on Wednesday evening. A hole in the roof of Arthur Vick 1 can be seen following the blaze. Image: Harry Baylis (sent to The Boar).

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) confirmed in a statement on Thursday morning (20 November) that the fire was started accidentally in a kitchen on the second floor of the block.

Two flats have been heavily damaged by the fire, and several more have been left smoke-logged.

In the statement, WMFS said: “This was a fire that started in the kitchen on the second floor of a three-storey residential block of student accommodation. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used five jets to extinguish the fire. They were supported by drone operations.

“An attending Fire Investigator confirmed this fire started accidentally”.

Damage caused in the roof of the building following the fire on Wednesday evening. Image: Nikolai Morton / The Boar

Affected students were advised to head to the Junction building following the fire, where they were provided with support to find emergency accommodation.

The Boar understands that all affected students have been offered temporary accommodation in Westwood. Food vouchers and essential supplies, such as shower gel and towels, have also been provided to those impacted.

In an email seen by The Boar, some residents of Arthur Vick 1 were told they were able to collect “essential items” from their rooms during a one-hour slot on Thursday afternoon, where they would be “chaperoned into the accommodation by a member of staff”.

The email clarified, however, that several rooms remain inaccessible and are therefore “out of bounds” until further notice.

Students unable to attend the Thursday afternoon slot have been told they can return to collect their belongings from 10am on Friday (21 November).

Students were also permitted to re-enter the building for 10 minutes on Wednesday night to collect some essentials.

One student told The Boar, however, that her friend “has medication in [her room] that she can’t get to”, and that “she’s going home this weekend so now can’t access any of her stuff”.

Fire crews attended the scene, after the top floor of Arthur Vick 1 went up in flames. Image: Gio (sent to The Boar).

Speaking after the fire broke out, one student said that residents did not immediately respond to the fire alarm after having “two false alarms half an hour earlier”. They added: “I thought my flat was joking when they told me we actually needed to leave.”

Warwick Christian Union (WCU) told The Boar that some of their members offered rooms in their houses to affected students as temporary accommodation for the evening. Warwick Islamic Society (ISOC) also shared their support, offering spare beds and accommodation to those affected.

WCU handed out hot chocolate and biscuits at Junction after the fire, instead of at the Chaplaincy, where they are usually located after the Wednesday night social, POP!.

An ongoing security presence and fire crews remained on campus overnight while assessing the impact of the blaze. The final fire crew left the scene at 7.15am on Thursday.

Two flats were heavily damaged by the fire, with rooms seen on Thursday to be completely destroyed. Image: Beth Sirianni / The Boar

A University spokesperson told The Boar shortly after midnight on Thursday morning: “Emergency services were called to a fire on campus at the Arthur Vick 1 residence block on Wednesday night. The fire is now out.

“All students have been evacuated and no injuries have been reported. Those affected are being helped by the University to find alternative forms of emergency accommodation. Wellbeing services are providing support to those affected. There will be an ongoing security presence to ensure the safety of students.”

WMFS also stressed the importance of cooking safety in its statement on Thursday morning. Sharing tips on how to avoid kitchen fires, it added: “With this fire having been confirmed to have started in a kitchen, we wanted to issue a fresh reminder about cooking safety, particularly to students.”