Penn student faces arson charge in dorm fire

A University of Pennsylvania student is facing an arson charge and related criminal counts after a fire was started in a high-rise dormitory.

The fire erupted about 2 a.m. yesterday on the 22d floor of Rodin College House, police said. The 22-year-old suspect's name was withheld pending arraignment.

The Daily Pennsylvanian, the student newspaper, reported that the student had been spraying butane through a cigarette-lighter flame, igniting nearby recycling material.

The building was evacuated and no injuries were reported, but the sprinkler system caused significant water damage, the newspaper said. - Inquirer staff