On Sept. 18, 1998 at 2:38 a.m., a fire broke out on the fourth floor of Hester Hall. Less than an hour after the fire began, Michael Minger, sophomore from Niceville, Florida, was pronounced dead at the Murray-Calloway County Hospital at 3:22 a.m. Five other students were injured during the fire.
At the time of the fire, Tim Clements was on the fourth floor of Hester, just down the hall from Minger.
“I remember a lot from that day,” Clements said. “Far too much to bore you with, but vividly would be the fear of that morning and seeing several of my dorm mates hanging out of their windows screaming in fear for their lives.”
Investigators quickly determined the fire was intentionally set. Just weeks after the deadly blaze, seven people, including four members of the University’s rugby team, were arrested and charged in connection to the fire but the charges were later dropped.