Campus Alert Archive
SUNY Maritime

Box Fan to Dorm Inferno: Cadets Evacuate in 30-Degree Cold as 2-Alarm Fire Engulfs SUNY Maritime C&D Hall

NYfireemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On November 30, 2015, a 2-alarm fire broke out at approximately 7:30 AM EST in the C&D dormitory at SUNY Maritime College on the Throggs Neck peninsula in the Bronx, forcing the evacuation of dozens of cadets into 30-degree temperatures. The fire began in a box fan on the third floor and quickly spread to curtains and an adjacent room. Nearly 100 FDNY firefighters responded to the scene and contained the blaze with no injuries reported.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
State University of New York Maritime College
Public Bachelors · NY
~1,700 studentsSUNY Maritime Emergency Alert
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 ALERTUnknown
Approximate reconstruction196 chars
SUNY Maritime College Emergency: A fire has been reported in the C&D Dormitory. All residents must evacuate the building immediately. Do not use elevators. Proceed to the designated assembly area.

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

Fire was reported at approximately 7:30 AM EST on Monday, November 30, 2015, when most cadets were still in their rooms before morning formation
The C&D Dormitory is the main residential facility at SUNY Maritime's Fort Schuyler campus on the Throggs Neck Peninsula in the Bronx, NY
Cadets evacuated into temperatures near 30 degrees Fahrenheit and stood by the water for over an hour during FDNY operations
ALL CLEARUnknown
Approximate reconstruction215 chars
SUNY Maritime College Emergency Update: The fire at the C&D Dormitory has been brought under control by FDNY. The scene is being assessed. Students should await further instructions before returning to the building.

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

The 2-alarm fire was brought under control by FDNY after nearly 100 firefighters responded to 6 Pennyfield Avenue
Cadets had to wait more than an hour in 30-degree cold on the Throggs Neck waterfront before the scene was secured
No injuries were reported among cadets or FDNY personnel
Context

Background

State University of New York Maritime College, located at historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula in the Bronx, is a specialized maritime institution where most students are working toward U.S. Coast Guard merchant mariner credentials. The residential culture is quasi-military, with cadets living in regimented dormitory housing. On the morning of November 30, 2015, a box fan malfunction in a third-floor room of the C&D Dormitory at 6 Pennyfield Avenue ignited curtains, and the fire spread rapidly to an adjacent room above. Cellphone video captured by bystanders showed flames visible from dorm windows on the second and third floors. FDNY elevated the response to a second alarm, bringing nearly 100 firefighters to the scene. All cadets evacuated in minutes but were required to stand on the exposed waterfront peninsula in near-freezing temperatures for more than an hour while firefighters worked. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of older dormitory structures at specialized maritime academies, where dense residential populations and limited egress points can complicate rapid evacuation.
Analysis

Key Findings

A box fan malfunction ignited curtains and spread the fire to multiple dorm rooms, a common residential fire scenario in compact dormitory environments
FDNY elevated to a 2-alarm response with nearly 100 firefighters for a college with approximately 1,700 students
Cadets stood in 30-degree temperatures on the exposed Throggs Neck waterfront for over an hour, raising cold-exposure concerns during winter evacuations at coastal campuses
No injuries were reported, demonstrating effective rapid evacuation at a residential institution with quasi-military discipline
Outcome
No injuries. Dormitory evacuated. Fire contained by FDNY. Students displaced.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Fire Breaks Out In Dorm Rooms At SUNY Maritime College In The Bronx
    newyork.cbslocal.com
  2. News
    Dormitory fire at SUNY Maritime College under control: FDNY
    pix11.com
  3. News
    FDNY responds to 2-alarm fire at SUNY Maritime College dorm
    bronx.news12.com
  4. News
    Fire breaks out in dorm room at SUNY Maritime College
    abc7ny.com
Tags
firedormitoryevacuationmaritime-academysunybronxfdnybox-fanwinter-evacuationthroggs-neck
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion