Channel Four conducted a four -month long investigation of University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University and OU dorms. The Seton Hall fire was ruled to have been arson. The incident killed three students and injured 62 others. The fire spread through the dorm extremely quickly, causing many to think that university dorms are not fire safe. One common element in nearly every dorm investigated by WDIV was fire doors being propped open.
Fire doors help in containing a fire to one area of a building.
He added that propped open doors cannot stop fires from spreading. If a violation is spotted and reported to the Auburn Hills Fire Department, the station will usually give the university 15 to 30 days to fix the problem, depending on the severity of the violation, according to Petersen. Magnetic systems have been added to the fire doors in Hamlin Hall. The system allows fire doors to be propped open by a magnet within the door. If a fire alarm goes off, the magnets release and the door closes, preventing fires from spreading.