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Early Morning Fire Engulfs
Fraternity House

April 10, 2005

Bowling Green, Ky. - A fire Sunday morning destroyed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) house at 1410 College St. in Bowling Green. Minor fire and smoke damage was done to the house next door.

The fire was reported to the Bowling Green Fire Department at 4:06 a.m.

According to preliminary reports, four fraternity members were in the house at the time of the fire and all escaped safely. A complete inspection of the house will be made by a certified fire investigator from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and Bowling Green Fire Department inspectors as soon as the house is considered structurally safe to enter. No cause of the fire has been determined at this time. No fatalities or injures are expected.

It was reported that at the time of the fire, three fraternity members were sleeping on the second floor and one was sleeping on the first floor. One of the men on the second floor escaped the fire by using a rope safety ladder attached to his window. Smoke alarms in the house alerted the men to fire.

According to Richard Storey, assistant fire chief for the Bowling Green Fire Department, a preliminary check of the last inspection of the house in the fall of 2004 showed no major violations. Any violations that would have been detected would have been addressed and corrected to pass the inspection.

Western Kentucky University has offered fraternity members assistance with temporary accommodations and counseling. Additionally, Western's Student Affairs and Campus Services staff will contact the professors of the students to notify them of the fire. Fraternity members living in the house lost nearly all their possessions including books and other course-related materials.

"We are grateful that everyone was able to exit the house safely," said Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell. "The SAE house had been inspected recently and thankfully everything was in working order. We are especially concerned about student safety when our students reside in older homes that have been retrofitted or renovated for multiple occupants. We are relieved that no one was killed or injured."

SAE members and their advisors will meet Sunday morning at the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel to determine what they will do next.