By Medea GiordanoSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Two garbage can fires are under investigation in Breukelen and Hampton Houses, after both incidents happened three days apart last week.

Hampton House residents in Colonial Square were locked out of their rooms for over an hour on late afternoon on March 1. Public Safety officers and the Uniondale Fire Department found what seemed to be a paper towel burning in a second floor garbage can. They began an investigation, being that it was the second fire of that nature in a week.

On Feb. 26, Public Safety found a trash can on fire outside of a room in Breukelen House in the Netherlands. The Uniondale Fire Department extinguished the fire and there was no damaged property. However, the fire triggered a slight smoke condition.

Hampton House alone had at least three fire drills already this semester. The first two appeared to be from too-hot showers or hairspray.

Karen O’Callaghan, director of Public Safety, said that hairspray and hot showers are the culprit of about 99 percent of the alarms that go off in residence halls.

O’Callaghan could not comment on whether or not the investigation returned any suspicious evidence.

“We want to make sure we do everything we can to make sure they aren’t connected,” O’Callaghan said.

The Uniondale Fire Department was not available for comment at the time of publication.

Kristin Mathis, a senior Hampton House resident, wished that the residents were more informed when the fire happened.

“I’m glad they’re taking it seriously but I wish they would tell us more information so we knew what was going on,” Mathis said.

Fellow resident, Corey Jacobs, a sophomore, is not happy with the frequent drills during the harsh winter weather.

“I think the constant fire drills are ridiculous and annoying,” Jacobs said. “It makes me want to reconsider living on campus because I have to repeatedly leave the comfort of my home and stand outside in the freezing weather for nothing.”