UNM Police are investigating another case of suspected arson on campus, as a fire damaged the basement of the Telos House on Sunday morning, Lt. Pat Davis said.
The first fire at the Telos House, on Las Lomas Road and Yale Boulevard, occurred in August, also in the basement. No one was hurt in either fire.
Police believe the fire is connected with four others that sprung up on campus over the last several months, Davis said.
"We are including this fire in the same investigation as the one that happened in the same building back in August and the three that happened in October," Davis said. "At this time, we presumably link five suspected arsons together, and we are linking them only because of the proximity. They all happened within . a 1-square-block area this semester."
Trey Rivas, director of the Telos House, said resident Brandon Brownell heard someone running out of the house before the fire.
"(Brandon) just looked around, went back to sleep, and then he heard the smoke detectors go off, and then he smelled smoke, so he went around and checked downstairs and saw a lot of smoke," Rivas said.
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Rivas said he isn't sure how an arsonist could have entered the building, because all the doors of the house are locked. He said one of the basement doors might have been tampered with.
He said the Telos House residents are going to be more cautious and will purchase a security system.
Davis said the fire appears to have started the same way as the August fire but that the cause of Sunday's fire is still under investigation.
In October, three fires broke out on Sigma Chi Road, resulting in damage to two UNM office buildings and a storage shed, which is also associated with the Telos House, formerly known as the Lambda Chi house.
"No one has been hurt in any of these, and everybody has been able to return to their houses within the same day, but we want to take it seriously because it doesn't mean that, if there were another one, it couldn't be more serious and cause damage or injuries," Davis said.
Resident Eileen Waldschmidt said everyone in the Greek Row neighborhood should be cautious to ensure the fires do not continue.
"Something is going around. I don't know if they are just targeting us or they are targeting the fraternities or sororities," Rivas said. "Just look out, because, I mean, we're not the only house around here. We kind of have to look out for ourselves - everyone that's around our neighborhood. We just have to keep our eyes open, because it seems like that's all we could do right now."
UNMPD is asking witnesses to come forward with information.
"That can be that they've seen suspicious people or vehicles or even that they heard a rumor. We ask them to give us a call," Davis said.
To report information on the fires, call UNMPD at (505) 277-2241 or, to remain anonymous, (505) 925-COPS.
