Fire destroys PiKA house - Murray State

[TSteven]

Fire destroys PiKA house
[Murray State University - Murray, Kentucky]
By KRIS ADAMS
Staff Writer

A fire destroyed the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, but it has not destroyed the spirit of the fraternity’s members who have vowed to rebuild and carry on.

“I know we’re going to rebuild,” said Jason Henson, Pi Kappa Alpha president. “That’s not even a question. Other than that, we’ve just got to go through the steps.”

The group lost most of the contents of the house in the blaze, including the fraternity paddle and photos of every pledge class that has ever been through the fraternity. Henson said they were able to save the group’s charter and a few items of sentimental value.

Roughly 25 fire department personnel, including off-duty Murray Fire Department firefighters and members of the Calloway County Fire and Rescue, responded to the call to 1401 Stadium View Dr., at 7:19 p.m. Officials were on the scene until 9:46 p.m., according to a report issued by MFD.

The fire appears to have started in the western portion of the building and spread to the front. The 27-year-old building was engulfed in flames when the fire department arrived on the scene.

Foul play is not suspected, fire officials reported.

The building was completed in 1978 with the help of Dr. Hal E. Houston, a former member and active supporter of the fraternity, who established the Pi Kappa Alpha Housing Corporation with a group of Pike alums. Earlier this year, the building was named the Dr. Hal E. Houston Lodge. In 1988, additional rooms and a deck were added to the building.

Pi Kappa Alpha was the first fraternity at Murray State University to go national. Until March 1, 1958, the group was known as Tau Sigma Tau.

Interim housing remains undetermined, according to Neil McMillion, the group’s advisor. A meeting with the fraternity’s housing corporation is expected to take place later this week to determine the future of the facility.

The building had only one apartment that could house three fraternity members.

To read the entire article, pick up a copy of Monday's Murray Ledger & Times.

© 2004 Murray Ledger & Times All Rights Reserved.

http://www.murrayledger.com/MURRAYLE...48&PubID=16103

[KellyB369]

How sad!

[TigerLilly]

That sucks.

At least with it being summer now, hopefully no one was living there and got their stuff destroyed along with the rest of the house?

[steelepike]

Good to see the Brothers at Murray State want to rebuild and not get down because of this.

But this is a sad turn of events anyway.

[Tom Earp]

Heads up to the Interfraternal Brothers of PKA!

It is sad to hear of thier lose, not for just the House, but for them many memories that are lost! A house can be rebuilt.

I am sure, We all wish them well!

[TSteven]

Sad news indeed.

I've got a few friends that went to Murray State and are Pikes. Heck, I've even had a few adult beverages at the lodge.

The good news is that the Murray State chapter is well respected not only by the MSU Greeks, but the whole university and town. And the chapter has strong alumni support, including MSU's Vice President of Institutional Development and Alumni Affairs. I don't think they will have problems finding a temporary home until their house is rebuilt.

[sairose]

Awww, that's certainly sad to hear.

[TSteven]

A couple of updates. Fire was last Saturday.
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Associated Press
Fire destroys Murray State fraternity house; no one hurt

MURRAY, Ky. — A fire gutted an empty fraternity house at Murray State on Saturday night.

Murray police received the call reporting the fire at the Pi Kappa Alpha house about 7:20p.m.

Chapter president Jason Henson told The Paducah Sun that the 27-year-old, one-story brick house on Stadium View Drive was locked up for the summer in mid-May. Fraternity officers live in the home during the school year. The fraternity has 65 members.

"The positive thing is no one was in it and no one was hurt," Don Robertson, vice president for student affairs, told the newspaper. "It could have been a much worse situation."

Firefighters were still at the scene three hours after the blaze started.

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Fraternity house fire
Lisa Ripley,
NewsChannel 6
Sunday, June 6, 2004

http://www.wpsdtv.com/articles/stori...ocal_news.html

Fire gutted the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house at Murray State University. Members spent Sunday salvaging what little they could from the ashes. Chapter President Jason Henson says of the damage, "It's worse than it looked Saturday."

The house was locked up for the summer, so no one was living there when the blaze broke out Saturday night just after seven o'clock. The fire left nothing untouched. Henson says he's most upset about the loss of the new game room. It had been recently renovated and dedicated to the memory of a fraternity brother, Greg Kersteins, who was killed in a car accident last summer. Henson tells WPSD NewsChannel Six Reporter Lisa Ripley, "It really hurts me to see how [the room] looks now."

There's no word yet on what sparked the fire. Fraternity members were able to save some irreplaceable photos, the fraternity's charter, and their trophies. Chapter advisor Neil McMillion says, "Those are things that are very important to the guys. You never want to see your memories or artifacts go up in flames. It's good a lot of those still remain."

Henson says The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was the first fraternity founded at MSU. The fraternity celebrated its 46th anniversary in May.

[mmcat]

how sad...
thank god, no one was harmed.
all good thoughts and prayers are with the fraternity as the members begin to rebuild and get things back together before the school year starts.