Fire seriously damages fraternity house
Released: November 12, 2007
An early morning fire heavily damaged the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house at 1238 W. Main St., Whitewater. The fraternity house is located in the city of Whitewater and not on the UW-Whitewater campus.
The fire started about 3 a.m. in a bedroom. All the residents and the fraternity's dog were able to evacuate. Ten people lived in the house, five of whom are UW-Whitewater students, but only five residents were home at the time of the fire.
One student was treated on the scene for mild smoke inhalation, minor cuts and bruises, but no other injuries were reported.
"We are thankful that no one was seriously injured in this fire. Our first concern is for the safety of our students. We will provide whatever support is necessary to assist the members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon house," Interim Chancellor Richard Telfer said this morning.
Dean of Students Tisa Mason said TKE house members all found temporary housing.
An electrical fire may have been the cause but the official cause has yet to be determined.
University officials and community resources will be used to assist TKE members who are in need of permanent residences.
Students who lived at the TKE house may have lost books, course work and personal computers in the fire. Faculty and academic staff will work with these students to fulfill their course requirements.
The fraternity suffered a fire on Feb. 29, 1996. That fire started about 4:30 a.m. and caused major damage to three upper apartments. The rest of the house had smoke and water damage. There were no reports of serious injuries to fraternity members, however the house's dog, Axel, died in the fire.
- Sara Kuhl,kuhls@uww.edu
