Arson repairs may top $20k

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is still recovering from the arson-induced fire Saturday that burned the back of its house.

Chapter adviser Dan Miller estimates that the damage costs will be tallied by this morning. Yesterday was the first day the insurance company could look at the house.

"There are two student rooms that will need to have a lot of work done," Miller said, referring to the rooms located against the back wall of the house. "We essentially have to rip apart that wall and start over."

Fraternity members hope repairs will be completed by the time they return from winter break, but that will depend on how quickly the fraternity can collect insurance money for the damage.

"I think that the damage is over $20,000 since our walk-in refrigerator that was bought just a year ago cost $15,000," Miller said.

In addition to buying a new refrigerator, the fraternity will need to invest in other new items, including a shed and an exhaust fan for the kitchen and windows. The house also requires a great deal of electrical work.

Adam Benson, senior and president of Pi Kappa Alpha, was one of three executive-board members who helped evacuate residents from the house during the fire.

"It's hard to imagine why someone would do that," Benson said.

He added that it was scary to imagine what could have happened if the fire had started at the sorority next door -- Delta Delta Delta -- where a couch was doused with gasoline.

"There's not a lot of anger [in the fraternity]," Benson said. "A lot of people are frustrated. They want to know why it happened -- if it was really intended for us or for the church."

The back of Pi Kappa Alpha borders the property of the Catholic Newman Center. The fire was three or four feet from the church, burning a portion of the fence that separates the two properties.

"(Members wonder) if it's specifically against our house or just part of the general trend of arson fires on fraternities going on around the nation," Benson said.

Fraternity fires allegedly related to arson have been reported within the last year at California State University-Chico, University of Arizona and University of Southern Mississippi, among others in the last few years.

Besides the fire damage in the back of the house, most of the house's damage came from smoke. Two rooms have broken windows and two more rooms have less serious damage.

The few students still residing in the house will need to remove their belongings before they leave for break. There are couches in other bedrooms in the house, an open basement room and a few other spots located throughout the house for the students who need to vacate their rooms. Some residents of the fraternity are living in other houses in the Greek system.

"I'm just happy all our guys are safe," Benson said.