Campus Alert Archive
LSU

An E-Scooter Caught Fire in a Dorm Stairwell and Cleared Out Camellia Hall

LAfireemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, 2024, an electric scooter caught fire in a stairwell of Camellia Hall on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. Students were evacuated and firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze with no injuries reported.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Louisiana State University
Public R1 · LA
LSU Emergency Text/Email
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction162 chars
LSU Alert: Fire reported in Camellia Hall. Evacuate the building immediately and move to a safe distance. Fire department en route. Do not re-enter until cleared.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstruction based on reporting that students were evacuated from Camellia Hall around 12:30 p.m. CDT on October 5, 2024, after an e-scooter caught fire in a stairwell.
Baton Rouge is on Central time (UTC-5 during daylight saving in October); the offset here is CDT.
The fire originated in a stairwell — a critical egress path — which is why immediate evacuation rather than shelter was the correct instruction.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction160 chars
LSU Alert: The fire in Camellia Hall has been extinguished and the building is clear. There were no injuries. Residents may follow staff instructions to return.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstruction of the all-clear; WAFB and WBRZ reported the fire was put out and no one was hurt.
Genuine all-clear: it lifts the evacuation and confirms no injuries, distinct from a status update.
Context

Background

The Camellia Hall fire is part of a growing category of campus emergencies driven by lithium-battery devices. According to WAFB, firefighters responded around 12:30 p.m. on October 5, 2024, and found an electric scooter on fire in a stairwell, extinguishing it with no injuries. The LSU Reveille reported student reactions, with some calling for scooters to be banned from dorms, while The Advocate noted the cause of the combustion was unknown. The incident illustrates how residence-hall fire alerts now frequently involve personal electric mobility devices rather than cooking or smoking.
Outcome
Firefighters extinguished the scooter fire in the stairwell. No students were injured, though the incident renewed student concerns about lithium-battery scooters stored in residence halls.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Electric scooter fire extinguished at LSU dorm hall; no injuries - WAFB
    wafb.com
  2. Student Paper
    'These scooters should be banned': Students react to scooter fire in Camellia Hall - LSU Reveille
    lsureveille.com
  3. News
    Electric scooter fire damages LSU residence hall Saturday - The Advocate
    theadvocate.com
Tags
fireresidence-hall-firelithium-batterye-scooterevacuationlouisianabaton-rouge
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion