An improperly used extension cord was the cause of a fire in the Theta Chi fraternity house Tuesday, Tempe fire officials said.
Tempe Fire Inspector Phil Rohe said the extension cord was too small to power the window-mounted air-conditioning unit it was plugged into.
“It was a very, very unsafe situation they had there,” Rohe added.
Coordinator for Greek Life, Bob Francis, said the house sustained approximately $1,000 in damages. The room where the fire broke out is unusable and up to three other rooms have smoke and water damage.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, fraternity members noticed smoke coming from the upstairs bedroom. They called Tempe Fire at 6:43 p.m., and a fire unit arrived on the scene at 6:47 p.m.
Residents were evacuated but returned to the house later that evening. Matt Nederer, a broadcast senior, was treated for smoke inhalation at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital and released Tuesday night.
Rohe said the sprinkler system in the house kept the fire from becoming a tragedy.
“Lives very likely were saved and property was saved because the building had fire sprinklers,” he said.
Reach Sara Thorson at sara.thorson@asu.edu.
