Caroline Beach
The west side of the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium caught fire at the University of Mississippi on Thursday, Aug. 26.
Students and faculty navigating the stress of the university’s first week back were greeted with a cloud of black smoke around 3:45 p.m. while returning to their cars after class.
A university police officer completing their routine afternoon patrol discovered the blaze rising from a transformer inside of Gate 32.
The Oxford Fire Department rushed to the scene, responding to the chaos promptly by cutting off the power to the ignited transformer and containing the blaze within the hour.
Although the Vaught endured no structural damage, significant smoke damage stained the exterior of the stadium walls.
“There were no injuries reported. Engineers will inspect the site to ensure that no further damage was sustained,” Lisa G. Stone, the strategic communications director for university marketing and communications, said.
It is still unknown what caused the transformer to ignite.
