Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFire breaks out at ZBT fraternity
By Shayna Meliker and Daniel Bortz
Posted: 10/2/08, 3:25 AM EST Section: News
A second-floor room in the fraternity house of Zeta Beta Tau caught fire Wednesday afternoon, causing heavy smoke damage to the bedroom and minor smoke damage throughout the floor, fire department officials said.
"I believe there was a kid sleeping in there who was woken up by the fire alarm," said B.D. Bratt, the Syracuse Fire Department district chief.
"There wasn't much in the line of fire damage," Bratt said. He added that the cause of the fire was under investigation.
The room was on the right side of the house, located at 905 Walnut Ave. Five fire trucks arrived on the scene after the fire was called in by the alarm company at 1:50 p.m. The house father of ZBT put out the flames before the firefighters arrived, Bratt said.
The section of Walnut Avenue in front of the house was shut down during the incident. SFD aired out the floor before leaving the scene at 2:40 p.m.
A former ZBT president said no one was injured. The current president of the chapter declined comment.
Matt Abdifar, president of SU's Interfraternity Council, said each fraternity is required to pass an annual house inspection for fire hazards. He added that inspections must be completed by the end of October. This is part of the requirement for each fraternity to be recognized as a Syracuse University student organization, Abdifar said.
dsbortz@syr.edu
shmelike@syr.edu
"I believe there was a kid sleeping in there who was woken up by the fire alarm," said B.D. Bratt, the Syracuse Fire Department district chief.
"There wasn't much in the line of fire damage," Bratt said. He added that the cause of the fire was under investigation.
The room was on the right side of the house, located at 905 Walnut Ave. Five fire trucks arrived on the scene after the fire was called in by the alarm company at 1:50 p.m. The house father of ZBT put out the flames before the firefighters arrived, Bratt said.
The section of Walnut Avenue in front of the house was shut down during the incident. SFD aired out the floor before leaving the scene at 2:40 p.m.
A former ZBT president said no one was injured. The current president of the chapter declined comment.
Matt Abdifar, president of SU's Interfraternity Council, said each fraternity is required to pass an annual house inspection for fire hazards. He added that inspections must be completed by the end of October. This is part of the requirement for each fraternity to be recognized as a Syracuse University student organization, Abdifar said.
dsbortz@syr.edu
shmelike@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Kaylen Thorpe
posted 10/02/08 @ 6:12 AM EST
"Our house, our house, our house is burning down"
Callous, I know; couldn't resist the reference to 'Revenge of the Nerds' :D
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