Fort Smith (Aug 11/03) - Two student residences at Aurora College in Fort Smith have been closed following an inspection by the Fire Marshal.

The 1950s era buildings are known locally as the Green House and the Brown House.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Public Works had asked the Fire Marshal to inspect the buildings. ECE voluntarily closed the building following the inspection, says Doug Johnson, the manager of policy and planning with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, under which the Fire Marshal operates.

"There was no order."

During February's budget deliberations, ECE suggested $149,000 for improvements to the buildings. The funding was nixed by the Legislative Assembly.

Johnson says one problem with the buildings is the walls don't meet current building code to prevent the spread of fire between rooms.

"It didn't meet the standard for multiple-person residences."

Other concerns are doors, stairwells and windows. For example, emergency doors are supposed to swing outward, but some doors in the buildings swing inwards. Some windows are not of the required size to allow people to escape in case of fire.

Other problems include hard-to-open doors, missing handrails and a broken smoke alarm in one room.

The inspection was part of a capital planning process to determine what needs to be done with the residences to bring them up to current building codes.

Public Works has now retained a consultant to look at the building, says Michele LeTourneau, a public affairs officer with ECE.

"We have to take a look at what the consultant has to say," says LeTourneau. "I think it's safe to say the problems will be addressed."

With the closure, 13 students living in the houses -- each have a capacity of about 30 -- were relocated to another residence, Breynat Hall.

In the fall, 29 students were scheduled to occupy the residences.

The college is working on alternate accommodations for those students.