HARRISONBURG VA: (Rocktown Now) – A 28-year-old JMU student died late Thursday night after an accidental cooking fire broke out in their apartment.

In a campus wide announcement, James Madison University stated at Senior Lorenzo Isaiah Gibbs died due to cardiac arrest after an accidental kitchen fire in his Squire Hill apartment. Gibbs was an integrated science and technology (ISAT) major with a tailored concentration in applied biotechnology, industrial and manufacturing, and a minor in philosophy.

According to the Harrisonburg Fire Department, crews were dispatched to the 1400 block of Devon Lane shortly before midnight. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke inside the apartment and quickly worked to extinguish the flames.

Emergency responders located the victim inside the residence. Despite life-saving efforts, the individual was pronounced dead at Sentara RMH.

Investigators determined the fire originated in the kitchen and was caused by unattended cooking. Officials say the incident serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers of leaving food unattended on the stove.

The Harrisonburg Fire Department urges residents to remain vigilant when cooking and to ensure smoke alarms are installed and functioning in their homes.

“Our department is heartbroken,” fire chief states

During the process of extinguishment, crews searched for and located an adult male unconscious inside the residence and immediately removed him. He was found to be in cardiac arrest with no pulse and was not breathing. HFD paramedics, working with the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad, attempted life saving measures, including the administration of a cyanide antidote kit (a common by-product of fire). The individual was transported to Sentara RMH where he was declared dead at approximately 1 a.m. No additional identifiable information about the individual will be released at this time.

“Our department is heartbroken,” Fire Chief Matthew Tobia said. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of this young man who had his entire life ahead of him. I am grateful to everyone who did all they could to try to save his life, and my heart goes out to all in our community who are suffering from this loss.”

The HFD Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fire to be accidental with the origin and cause the result of cooking, which is the leading cause of all residential fires in the United States. The fire was extinguished in under 10 minutes with less than 50 gallons of water. Damage estimates have been set at approximately $25,000.

The Harrisonburg Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Harrisonburg Police Department, Harrisonburg Rescue Squad and Rockingham County Fire Rescue. The last unit cleared the scene at approximately 3:45 a.m. Working smoke alarms reduce the chance of dying in a fire by 50 to 60 percent, but they alone are not enough. In this incident, the apartment did have working smoke alarms.

According to the JMU Newspaper “The Breeze”, The university’s email encouraged students and faculty affected to use university resources, including the JMU Counseling Center and Timely Care.

“JMU’s senior leadership team cares deeply about each of you. Our heartfelt sympathies are with our fellow student’s family and friends,” Vice President for Student Affairs Tim Miller concluded in JMU’s announcement.

A 2024 report on Fire Loss in the United States by the National Fire Protection Association found that although the incidence of residential structure fires has decreased by 58 percent since 1980, the incidence of fire deaths has actually increased by 44 percent in the same timeframe, with one person dying in every 100 residential structure fires in the United States per year.

Nearly 3,000 people died in residential structure fires in 2024, or one person every three hours.