A man living on the Polytechnic campus was taken to a nearby hospital for minor smoke inhalation after his home caught fire early Wednesday morning.
Fire crews from Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek responded to the house at the 6500 block of South Longwood shortly after 1 a.m. The house is part of the student living neighborhood South Desert Village.
Two residents inside the home — a man and a woman — evacuated before fire crews arrived, but the man needed medical attention after inhaling some smoke, ASU Police Sgt. Daniel Macias said. It was not verified if the two residents were ASU students.
Mesa Fire Capt. Forest Smith said the fire is believed to have originated from a bathroom exhaust fan that might have burnt itself out. Attic fires usually begin when contact is made between hot wires and wood panels, which can cause smoldering and eventually spark flames, he said.
“Unfortunately, exhaust fan fires aren’t very uncommon,” Smith said. These fires often occur in older houses, but they can also happen in newer homes where fans are not cleaned and maintained, he said.
Smith said after crews arrived, the fire was extinguished within 20 minutes.
Macias said the roof and a picture window were damage.
ASU facilities personnel arrived on the scene to assess the damage while the man was treated at the hospital.
After the man was released, the two residents were relocated to emergency housing for the night.
Smith said the estimated damage of the residence is currently unknown.
Reach the reporter at sraymund@asu.edu
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