Campus Alert Archive
Howard

Fourth-Floor Dorm Room Fire Forces Evacuation of Howard University's Historic 9-Story Meridian Hill Hall at 12:31 AM

DCfireemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

At 12:31 AM EDT on March 19, 2014, a fire broke out in a fourth-floor room at Meridian Hill Hall at Howard University, a nine-story residence hall at 2601 16th St. NW in Washington, DC. Two students and a security guard were transported to a hospital with smoke inhalation, all conscious and alert. The entire building was evacuated; residents were allowed to return at approximately 3:15 AM EDT after the scene was cleared.

Alerts
3
Response
1 min
Killed
0
Injured
3
Institution
Howard University
Hbcu · DC
~10,000 studentsHU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction151 chars
HU Alert: Fire reported in Meridian Hill Hall. Evacuate the building immediately. DC Fire is responding. Stay clear of the building. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The fire was reported at 12:31 AM EDT, prompting the evacuation of all nine floors of the 2601 16th Street NW building
DC Fire Department responded to the call; two students and a security guard were transported with smoke inhalation injuries
President Wayne Fredrick later credited the quick actions of students and staff who recognized the danger and evacuated
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction276 chars
HU Alert Update: The fire at Meridian Hill Hall has been contained to the fourth floor. DC Fire is still on scene. Building remains evacuated. Three individuals have been transported to a hospital with minor injuries. All are conscious. Continue to stay clear of the building.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The fire was contained to the fourth-floor room of origin; water damage affected multiple floors below
The three individuals transported -- two students and a security guard -- all had minor smoke inhalation and were conscious
HBCU Buzz reported a letter from student Andreya J. Davis describing the chaotic nighttime evacuation
ALL CLEARSMS+2h 44m
Approximate reconstruction267 chars
HU Alert: The Meridian Hill Hall fire scene has been cleared by DC Fire. Residents on unaffected floors may return. Residents on floors with smoke or water damage have been relocated. Road closures around the building have been lifted. Thank you for your cooperation.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Residents on smoke- and water-damaged floors were relocated to other Howard University dormitories
Road closures around the building at 2601 16th St. NW were lifted at approximately 3:15 AM EDT
The all-clear came approximately two hours and 44 minutes after the initial fire call
Context

Background

Howard University is a historically Black university in Washington, DC, founded in 1867 and one of the nation's most prominent HBCUs. Meridian Hill Hall at 2601 16th St. NW was a nine-story university dormitory in the historic Meridian Hill neighborhood. At 12:31 AM EDT on March 19, 2014, a fire broke out in a fourth-floor room of the building, triggering full evacuation of the high-rise. DC Fire Department crews responded and contained the fire to the room of origin, but smoke and water damage extended to multiple floors. Two students and a security guard were transported to a local hospital with minor smoke inhalation; all were conscious. Residents were allowed to return at approximately 3:15 AM EDT. Students on smoke- and water-damaged floors were relocated to other campus residence halls. Notably, the building was never re-occupied after the March 2014 fire, and was eventually redeveloped as a luxury apartment complex. The incident is documented in Howard student community accounts, including a letter published by HBCU Buzz from a resident describing the late-night evacuation.
Analysis

Key Findings

Fire call received at 12:31 AM EDT on March 19, 2014 in a fourth-floor room of the nine-story Meridian Hill Hall
Two students and a security guard were transported to a hospital with minor smoke inhalation; all conscious
All nine floors were evacuated; road closures lifted and residents allowed back at approximately 3:15 AM EDT
Residents on smoke- and water-damaged floors were relocated to other Howard dormitories
Meridian Hill Hall at 2601 16th St. NW was never re-occupied after the fire, later redeveloped as luxury apartments
Howard University President Wayne Fredrick credited the quick evacuation by students and staff
Outcome
Two students and one security guard were transported to a hospital with minor smoke inhalation injuries; all were conscious. The fire was contained to the fourth-floor room. Residents on smoke- and water-damaged floors were subsequently relocated to other campus dormitories. Meridian Hill Hall was never re-occupied after the fire, eventually being redeveloped as private luxury apartments.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Dorm Fire at Howard University Sends Two Students, Security Guard to the Hospital - Fire Engineering
    fireengineering.com
  2. News
    Howard Univ. dorm fire sends 3 to hospital - WUSA9
    wusa9.com
  3. Student Paper
    HU Students Adjusting to Life after Dorm Fire - Howard University News Service
    hunewsservice.com
  4. Source
    Fire In Meridian Hall of Howard University - Letter from Andreya J. Davis - HBCU Buzz
    hbcubuzz.com
Tags
fireresidence-hallhbcuwashington-dchoward-universitysmoke-inhalationnighttimehigh-rise-dormmeridian-hillhistoric-building
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion