Fire Damages Penn Nu House

[PhiPsiRuss]

http://www.thepenn.org/vnews/display.../41618d77b827b

BY ASHLEY GURBAL
Penn Editor in Chief
A.J.Gurbal@iup.edu
October 04, 2004

Saturday's Homecoming festivities were cut short just after 7 p.m. for some students by a fire at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at 220 S. 7th St.

Pennsylvania Fire Chief Robert Vaylo said the fire began in the basement of the house with electrical wires of a Beermeister, according to Charles Kelley, chief of the Indiana Fire Association. A Beermeister holds and cools a keg of beer.

Twelve to 15 people were in the house at the time of the fire, said Terry Appolonia, director of the Center for Student Life. All four of Indiana's fire companies were dispatched to the scene, Kelley said, and there were no injuries reported.

"Everyone was out when we got there," Kelley said. "We did a primary search for anyone remaining in the building. We had it under control quickly but were on the scene for a few hours."

Kelley said the structure is salvageable, and that the fire damage was limited to the basement, but the first and second floors of the house sustained smoke damage.

Neighbor Katie Chorik (sophomore, speech pathology/audiology) said there were no visible flames on the structure.

"It looked like most of the smoke was coming out of the windows," she said. "You couldn't see flames; it was just piles of smoke."

Appolonia said the brothers who resided in the house have been given temporary housing options through the fraternity system and private housing.

"At this point, we're just letting it sink in," he said. "[Representatives from the Center of] Greek Life met with the students involved and some alumni [Sunday morning], and we're standing by and letting them let us know what they need."

Kelley was unsure of how long it would be before the house would be suitable for the brothers again.

"It's hard to say," he said. "There'll need to be some rewiring, and the electricity and natural gas that have been shut off will have to be turned back on."

A Phi Kappa Psi representative could not be reached for comment as of press time. Betsy Chimock, assistant director of Student Leadership and Greek Life, refused comment.