120 students evacuated after dorm room fire

STANDISH — A dorm room fire forced the evacuation of 120 students early Monday at St. Joseph’s College, causing some scary moments before administrators accounted for all of the students.

The fire, which was reported at 3 a.m. when someone pulled an alarm, was declared suspicious by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, whose investigators noted there were several smaller fires over the weekend.

No one was hurt during the blaze but an asthmatic student was transported to a Portland hospital as a precautionary measure, said Timothy Leary, vice president for student affairs at the 750-student college.

St. Joseph’s Hall, the oldest dormitory on the campus, is a women’s dorm that houses freshmen, Leary said.