The Red & Black

While many students were worrying about packing and preparing for classes, the women of Chi Omega sorority were concerned about an early morning fire in their Milledge Avenue house Friday, August 13.
Although Katrina Ogden, president of Chi Omega, declined to comment, the reports of a fire in the house were confirmed by the Athens-Clarke Fire Department.
“Since the boiler room (where the fire occurred) consists of concrete walls and a concrete ceiling, the fire was contained in an space approximately 10-by-10 ft.,” said Mitchell Kitchens, an investigator in the A-C Fire Prevention Office.
Because the fire was contained in a small space and put out quickly, the women were back in the house within about three hours, said Greek Life Coordinator Claudia Shamp.
“The time they spent out of the house was mostly as a result of smoke damage,” Shamp said.
Kitchens, who said the fire is currently under investigation, declined to comment as to whether the A-C Fire Department suspected arson in the case.
However, Detective Ronald Mills of the A-C Police Department said arson hasn’t been ruled out as a possible cause of the fire. “Upon investigation, no ignition source could be found,” he said.
Mills said the lack of an ignition source typically indicates the fire was intentionally set. Since arson is a felony, the minimum penalty would be one year in prison. Kitchens also said that there is no projected time frame for finishing the investigation.
“It could take weeks, months, or it could be finished tomorrow,” he said. “It all depends on the information that comes in.”