A fire resulting from a propane tank explosion caused an estimated $80,000 in damage at the Sigma Chi fraternity house Thursday.
Dozens of bystanders watched as four fire trucks arrived at the scene to extinguish the blaze, which ignited under a barbecue behind the house while several fraternity members played basketball at a nearby court.
No one was hurt in the incident, which was intended to be a promotional gathering for the Campaign for Change, a delegation of ASUO candidates running for various positions, said Sen. Athan Papailiou, who is running with Senate President Sara Hamilton for ASUO Executive next year. None of the guests were present when the propane tank exploded, Papailiou said.
“I felt the ground shaking,” said Scott Wolfe, who was inside a second floor room when the barbecue’s tank ignited. “It was almost like a waterfall sound.”
Fraternity members and visitors quickly evacuated the building and called the Eugene Fire Department after hearing alarms and sprinklers, said Fraternity Risk Manager Juan Mendoza.
“My job is to get everyone out,” Mendoza said. “We went through the halls banging on doors.”
University sophomore Alex Kniess said he tried to put out the flames at first, but he was unable to because of a free-flowing propane leak in the tank.
“I was in my room in the house, and I heard the sound of the tank blowing up,” Kniess said. “Myself and two others were right next to the tank trying to put it out. We had three fire extinguishers on it, but they all ran out.”
Flames reached as high as the second floor of the building before Eugene Fire Department firefighters were able to contain the fire. The last flames were extinguished about 20 minutes after it first flared up, witnesses said.
Students who were using the barbecue at the time of the incident didn’t realize the tank had a leak in it.
“We put two hot dogs on the barbecue and it had this sizzling sound. Then it just went up in flames,” said Rachael Doyle, one of the students standing nearby. “We got lucky I guess, but it mostly ruined the outside. I’m just lucky it didn’t blow up when I was standing right there.”
EFD Fire Chief Joe Zaludek said the flames burned through water pipes on the inside of the building, which allowed it to spread from the outside porch. There was extensive damage to a closet nearby, but the cafeteria inside was protected by the sprinkler system, he said.
“The sprinklers are a life-saving device, and they did their job,” Zaludek said.
Fraternity members will only be able to inhabit the house when the alarm and sprinkler system are completely repaired, he said. At the time of the incident, it was unclear whether residents would have to sleep elsewhere.
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