Issue date: 11/26/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Rachel Baye/DP Senior Photographer Firefighters gather outside the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house after a fire late last night forced brothers onto the streets.

A fire at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house early yesterday morning was caused by an electrical overload, according to the Division of Public Safety.

The fraternity house, located at 4040 Walnut St., was evacuated at about 3:30 a.m. when brothers reported seeing smoke billowing from a second-floor bedroom.

All of the residents - 20 to 25 people - were evacuated from the house and one resident was taken to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation, said Sgt. Joe Risoli of the Penn Police.

The fire was contained in one bedroom on the second floor, said Eugene Janda, chief of fire and emergency services for the Penn Police.

The blaze was caused by a circuit overload, due to a large number of electrical devices plugged into power strips, according to Janda and Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush. The circuits overheated, causing a mattress to ignite.

Rush said West Philadelphia's power grid is not equipped to handle setups in which multiple refrigerators and microwaves are located in each bedroom - the situation that caused yesterday's fire.

The student was in stable condition by mid-morning, Rush said.

Pi Kapp President and College junior Dan Kroese said a few people broke down the door to the student's bedroom, where the fire reportedly originated, and pulled him out.

"We pulled him from the room and we pulled him outside," said Wharton sophomore Brandon Bagley, a Pi Kapp brother.

Kroese added that he spoke yesterday afternoon with the student and he had been released from the hospital.

A Pi Kapp brother who lives in the house and wished to remain anonymous said many brothers ran in and out of the building multiple times to make sure everyone was out.

He added that firefighters also climbed into the second floor via ladders, breaking windows in the process.

The residents and others who were woken up by the commotion gathered in small groups outside the house where two charred mattresses lay on the sidewalk.

House residents were allowed back inside relatively quickly, though an Allied Barton security guard was stationed at the building.

Risoli added that Campus Apartments, the landlord of the residence, was notified.

To prevent electrical fires, Janda said students should not attach power strips to other power strips and should plug large appliances, like refrigerators, directly into wall outlets.

Rush added that the students affected by the fire were "very fortunate" the house had a "state-of-the-art protection system in place." Both the fire alarm and sprinkler system were activated.

Damage was mostly limited to one room, but there was minor water damage in the rest of the house, Kroese said.

"By Monday when we get back, the house should pretty much be as good as new," he added.

Managing Editor-elect Rebecca Kaplan, City News Editor-elect Emily Schultheis and Online Editor-elect Emily Babay contributed reporting to this article.

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