Jamestown Firefighters Extinguish Small Electric Water Heater Fire at Harold Newman Arena

A University of Jamestown employee used a fire extinguisher to put out a small fire in Harold Newman Arena, and Jamestown Fire Department crews ventilated smoke from the building with no injuries or damage reported. Capt. Sheldon Mohr said the blaze was traced to a faulty electric water heater in the arena at 1104 North University.

The call was logged at 8:53 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, Capt. Mohr told reporters. Jamestown Fire Department dispatched five units and 21 firefighters to Harold Newman Arena; “The fire alarm did activate,” Mohr said as crews responded to the campus gymnasium.

Mohr confirmed the University employee’s extinguisher put the small fire out before firefighters arrived. Mohr said the cause was a faulty electric water heater, and that crews ventilated smoke from the arena before clearing the scene. “They were at the scene for about 40 minutes, Mohr said.” Jamestown Sun photo records for the response are filed under “JFD Call at Harold Newman Arena 022526.jpg.”

The Feb. 25 arena response comes after an earlier, separate fire at the University of Jamestown student cafeteria that temporarily shifted campus dining to Harold Newman Arena. KFGO/KVRR reported firefighters worked for nearly eight hours to put out the cafeteria blaze that was contained to the kitchen and dining area, and said breakfast and other meals would be served at Harold Newman Arena for the next few days while Jamestown Public Schools and regional universities assisted with food preparation.

Valley News Live’s coverage of the cafeteria fire gave additional operational details: the Jamestown Fire and Rural Fire departments arrived at about 1:45 a.m. and the scene was not cleared until 11 a.m., a timeline the outlet described as firefighters working over nine hours. Valley News Live quoted Jamestown Fire Chief Jim Reuther: “I mean, there’s going to be a structural engineer coming in to see what could be saved and what can’t be saved. The cost right now is unknown.” Valley News Live also published student reactions, including Daniel Erlandson describing early social media alerts and food-service adjustments at the arena.

For the Feb. 25 Harold Newman Arena incident, Jamestown Fire Department reporting centered on the quick extinguishing by a university employee, the activation of the arena fire alarm, the dispatch of five units and 21 firefighters to 1104 North University at 8:53 a.m., the attribution of the cause to a faulty electric water heater, and a roughly 40-minute on-scene period with no reported damage or injuries.