More than 20 students at Brigham Young University were displaced this weekend after a student tried to make rocket fuel on a stove in a student housing unit and it “exploded into a fireball,” police said.
The science experiment gone wrong occurred Sunday afternoon at the university in Provo, Utah. The BYU Police Department said the fire alarm went off in the housing unit around 4:30 p.m., and firefighters quickly put out the fire.
An investigation found a 22-year-old student was making “homemade rocket fuel” on a stove when it exploded.
“The flames from the explosion had engulfed the walls and ceiling around the stove and the intense heat tripped the fire sprinkler system,” the department said in a Facebook post.
In a follow-up post, police said the fireball resulted in extensive damage to the building, and 22 students living near the unit have been relocated so the building can be cleaned and repaired. No injuries were reported.
“It is clear that this situation could have been much worse, and we are grateful that no one was injured. We urge students to be aware of circumstances around them and consider how their actions have the potential to effect not just themselves, but others as well,” the department said. “Please keep your experiments in the lab and supervised by trained professionals.”
BYU Police Lt. Jeff Long told CNN two people were in the unit where the fire began, one of whom has been interviewed by police. The resident is not facing charges, but Long said the case will be sent to a prosecutor to determine whether charges will be filed once the investigation is complete.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
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