A drunk firebug started a £20,000 blaze at a Scots university which threatened to spread to nearby cylinders of explosive butane gas.
Jonathan Brown, from Edinburgh, set light to a storage area at Queen Margaret University after getting off a bus at its campus in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
Brown, 33, was spotted on CCTV running from the scene in the moments before the flames took hold.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard there were 18 cylinders of butane, carbon dioxide and helium in the area, some of which could’ve exploded if exposed to severe heat.
Brown appeared at the court on Tuesday and admitted a charge of wilful fireraising.
Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren said Brown got off a bus at the campus terminal at around 11.47pm. He was seen on cameras walking around while smoking and drinking from a can.
Ms McLaren said the accused was spotted “moving back and forth between the bus stop and a nearby storage room”.
She said Brown could be observed moving two cylinders from the storage room to the side of the building.
The court heard he “stayed in this area for a significant time” before running away at 1.44am when a fire alarm activated.
Ms McLaren said flames quickly took hold in the storage area, which was underneath a main stairwell, and firefighters arrived at 2.10am.
Firefighters took 15 minutes to gain control of the blaze and smoke caused damage to other parts of the university.
Ms McLaren said there 18 gas cylinders in the area “which, if exposed to prolonged and severe heat, could have made the fire much more significant”.
She added Brown handed himself into a police station the day after the fire, which took place on July 5 2020.
The court heard CCTV from that evening showed Brown “under the influence” and that he’d fallen asleep on the bus, only waking up as it reached the campus.
The damage caused was estimated at £20,000, Ms McLaren said, and a fire investigation found it was potentially started with a naked flame applied to dry leaves.
Defence agent Lesley Cunningham said her client had no connection with the university.
Sheriff Alistair Noble said he was “concerned with the movement of the cylinders” although they “don’t appear to have exploded”.
He deferred sentence on Brown, of the city’s Gorgie area, until next month for reports.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
