2008 Woodie Awards
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity House Fire
Robert Snow / Courier-Observer
Issue date: 4/3/06 Section: News
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The Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house, Pleasant Street, caught fire around 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Joela Whitesell, who lives next door with her family, said she was taking a shower when the fire happened. She said she heard a crackling sound and noticed the trees, grass and fence between the two houses on fire.
"It was very frightening, even though I have a brick house," Whitesell said.
She said her son, who was also in the house, heard someone scream from next door that there was a fire and ask someone to call the fire department.
Potsdam firefighters arrived on scene a minute later with mutual aid from several other area fire departments. The smoke from the blaze could be seen across town.
"The sky was just filled with black smoke," Whitesell said.
With a breezy day and dry conditions, Whitesell was concerned about the fire spreading quickly, but she said the fire department had a very good response time.
St. Lawrence County Fire Investigator Robert White pointed to the back corner of the fraternity house where most of the damage occurred.
Firefighters were still tracing hot spots to determine how the fire spread several hours after the flames had been extinguished. White will continue investigations today into the exact cause of the fire.
Officials believe that the fire started outside the building. The fire spread quickly inside, said First Assistant Potsdam Fire Chief Dave McGregor.
However, a speedy response saved much of the building.
McGregor pointed out the call came in at 12:40 p.m. and the first firefighters were on scene at 12:41 p.m. With the high wind and warm day, the fire had the potential to spread all throughout the ancient home. He said the dry clap boards tend to go up quickly on such a hot and windy day.
Firefighters had to fight the blaze in shifts due to the heat inside the building. Outside the temperatures were above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
But McGregor said it was most definitely their quick response which contained the blaze to the third floor.
"We salvaged a lot of their belongings but there was quite a bit of structural damage to the roof and third floor," McGregor said.
That quick response was partly made possible by having paid drivers on staff with the fire department, according to McGregor.
Clarkson University officials are making arrangements for the 11 students who have been displaced by the fire.
"The university is making housing available for those students who desire it, and some students are going to be residing with friends," Clarkson Director of Media Relations Rick Burt said.
Burt said Delta Sigma Phi is a recognized fraternity in good standing with the university. The Fraternity was established at that location in 1929.
Village of Potsdam Code Enforcement Officer John Hill condemned the structure following the fire.
He pointed out when the fraternity had their inspection in January, there were a number of fire code deficiencies found. However, those code deficiencies were corrected by February.
"These inspections are only good the day they are done," Hill added.
Hill condemned the house stating it is not going to be habitable for the fraternity members. He added that arrangements are being made with the Potsdam Fire Department so the students can retrieve any belongings that survived the blaze.
Mutual aid for the fire call came from the Canton, West Stockholm, and West Potsdam Volunteer Fire Departments with the Hannawa Falls Volunteer Fire Department on Stand-by.
The house was insured.
Potsdam Regional Editor Matt Akins contributed to this story.