Fire Chief John Donahue said his team responded to a fire alarm at 20 Williams Drive, Delta Tau Delta, at 11:11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9. “We arrived on scene at 11:15 p.m., and when we saw we had smoke coming out of the house, we upgraded it to a working fire assignment,” Donahue said. “The fire was contained quickly to the single room, and everyone was accounted for at 11:38 p.m.” The next morning, Cole Hatcher, Director of Media and Community Relations, sent out a campus wide e-mail, saying no one was harmed and the residents of Delta have been relocated until repairs can be made. It was determined the fire was started in a student’s room on the second floor due to a cigarette that was not properly extinguished. Residents will be displaced until November 30.
The fire was put out quickly, but firefighters and trucks stayed until the coast was clear and the investigation was completed.
The fire was put out quickly, but firefighters and trucks stayed until the coast was clear and the investigation was completed.
Firefighters discuss the incident. The ladder behind them goes to a second story window, one of the many access points they’ve set up into the house.
Damaged items sat on Delt’s lawn the morning after the fire. Among them was the desk, chair, bed, bedframe, the door to the room and miscellaneous personal items. Deltas were able to make supervised trips for belongings the day after the fire. Police tape currently marks the house and a portion of the lawn off limits to any casual visitors.
The window closest to the tree, on the left is where the fire originated.
