After a student’s failed attempt at creating rocket fuel in a dorm room displaced 22 people, police at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah reminded students to “keep your experiments in the lab”.
The unnamed student attempted to concoct homemade rocket fuel on a stove in their dorm on Sunday afternoon.
The “volatile mixture suddenly exploded into a fireball”, the BYU police department said in a Facebook announcement.
“The flames from the explosion engulfed the walls and ceiling around the stove and the intense heat tripped the fire sprinkler system,” police added.
Firefighters secured the scene quickly and were able to put out the fire.
Photos released by the police department revealed black explosion marks across kitchen cabinets, walls and ceilings. A living room – apparently complete with a toilet, lid open, next to a sofa – appeared to be flooded with several inches of water, as a result of the sprinkler system.
Nobody was injured, police said. However, 22 dorm residents were displaced due to flooding “caused by this kitchen chemist experiment”, which resulted in “extensive damage to the building”.
In an update on Monday, police said the “Rocket Man” case was an active investigation.
“We urge students to be aware of circumstances around them and consider how their actions have the potential to [a]ffect not just themselves but others as well,” police said.
