EXCHANGE: Eureka class fired up by 'arson' investigation

(AP) — The smell of lighter fluid was still faintly noticeable after volunteers from the Eureka-Goodfield Fire Protection District put out a fire in a parking lot at Eureka College.

The room, built for Lally's class by students in the theater department, contained old furniture, carpeting, a lamp, table, trash can and television set.

The students worked in teams of four taking pictures, sketching diagrams, interviewing firefighters and making other observations.

For Caitlin Ketterer, a senior in criminal justice from Bloomington, it was an opportunity to use not only what she has learned in Lally's class, but also what she learned in the fire science program at the Bloomington Area Career Center.

Eureka Fire Chief Craig Neal, a trained fire investigator and instructor, gave students advice on how to carry out their investigation.

The room's contents that were burned in the blaze were old furniture and other items that were broken or no longer used in campus residence halls, he said.