The smell of smoke still lingers at 55 E. 15th Ave. after an early morning fire Wednesday gutted the third floor of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house.
The blaze that started in a third-floor bedroom was caused by an electrical problem involving a hair curler and ruled an accident by the fire department. It resulted in about $80,000 in damages.
Firefighters responded to the call at about 3 a.m. and had the fire under control within 20 minutes, said Kelly McGuire, a spokeswoman for the Columbus Division of Fire.
One firefighter, Chris Pillar, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. He was treated at the Ohio State University Medical Center and was quickly released to finish the rest of his shift, McGuire said. All of the sorority members exited the house safely, thanks to working smoke detectors.
Members of Kappa Kappa Gamma will be moved into alternative housing, said Karen Fisher, director of the Student Advocacy Center.
Some of the possibilities include residence halls, hotels, university-owned apartments and other sorority houses.
“We do not know if, when or how long residents will not be able to occupy the third floor,” Fisher said. Contractors are looking at the possibilities for reconstructing the house.
The Student Advocacy Center is also helping to notify university instructors of the names of the women affected by the fire. This way the Kappa Kappa Gamma members will not be penalized for missing class because of the fire, Fisher said.
Don Pawloski, who witnessed the fire from a 15th Avenue house, said the atmosphere was chaotic until the fire department arrived.
The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority members declined to comment.
