Is pyromania replacing pornography as the newest trend on college campuses?

First, University of Michigan students got in hot water when they created a bonfire from couches.

Now, a famous campus statue at the University of Maryland was ignited by one of the student “good luck offerings” set before it during finals week.

When University of Maryland senior Racheli Katz walked out of McKeldin Library last night around midnight and passed by the statue of Testudo, the university’s turtle mascot, she noticed something peculiar.

Testudo had amassed a diverse array of offerings — like a life-size cutout of Pope Francis and a Christmas tree — from students who believe offering tributes to the statue will help them perform well on final exams.

Katz said what stuck out to her were two lit candles buried in a half-eaten croissant.

About an hour later, the offerings perched on top of Testudo were on fire. Though the statue itself was not damaged and the exact cause of the fire is still unclear, Katz said she still feels a twinge of guilt.

“Looking back, I’m mad I didn’t blow out the candles,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking. There were so many flammable items on Testudo. Not a smart move.”

According to a release by university police spokesman Maj. Marc Limansky, a student police aide reported a small fire in front of the library around 1 a.m.

By the time officers responded to the scene, the fire had already been extinguished.