An arson fire early Sunday morning in the lower level of the Holmes Student Center caused an estimated $25,000 worth of damage.

The fire is under investigation by the DeKalb Fire Department and the University Police Department. University Union Night Supervisor Jack Stiles said, “I think it’s pretty much agreed that it was arson.”

The fire originated from a wooden bin used to store recyclable cardboard from the student center bookstore, he said. There is no evidence that an accelerant was used in the fire.

Stiles said the fire started after someone “apparently threw something on top” of the cardboard pile.

An NIU security employee discovered the fire at about 12:30 p.m. and reported it to the fire department. The fire damage was contained to the room where the fire started.

The DeKalb Fire Department remained at the scene for about two hours. Two fire trucks, a command vehicle and an ambulance also reported to the scene. Fifteen firefighters brought the fire under control in about 25 minutes.

The fire occurred in a stairwell south of the locker room near the Huskie Den. Firefighters attacked the blaze from a secondary stairwell because smoke and heat made access from the main stairwell impossible.

Stiles said there is no structural damage to the student center.

Although the fire damage was contained to the stairwell, smoke damage was visible in adjoining stairwells and rooms. The fire damaged the stairwell’s floor, walls and destroyed the ceiling panels.

Stiles said incidents of vandalism at the student center have occurred each of the three previous nights, but he refused to speculate if the incidents are related.