The student who was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center Nov. 3 after he accidently lit his pants on fire in his dorm room was released from the hospital and is now back at WSU.

The 18-year-old student, whose name was not released by police, suffered burns on the left hand and right leg, said WSU police Lt. Steve Hansen.

Pullman fire and WSU police responded to the 911 call at about 5:30 p.m., he said. By the time they arrived at Streit-Perham residence hall, the fire had been extinguished.

The student had been trying to evaporate rubbing alcohol with a lighter, Hansen said. He had a cup of rubbing alcohol and had attempted to evaporate the liquid by holding the lighter underneath the cup. When the student was unable to successfully evaporate the fluid, he moved the lighter to the top of the cup where the fumes ignited.

It appears the flame startled the student, Hansen said, who then spilled the liquid onto his hand and leg and dropped the cup onto the floor. He then ran out of his room to get a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

The only other damage to the dorm room was a charred mark on a dresser, Hansen said.