A fire in the basement of Alpha Delta fraternity early Monday morning is "suspicious in nature," although investigators do not currently know the exact cause of the fire, according to Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone.
The building's fire alarms went off at around 4:30 a.m., according to AD President Michael Shrubb '10, who was not in the fraternity at the time.
The fire started in the fraternity's basement, Giaccone said, and grew hot enough to set off the sprinkler system as well as an automated alarm.
The fire's location makes it appear suspicious, Giaccone said, although investigators currently have no way to determine whether the fire was accidental or intentional.
Shrubb said the sprinklers flooded part of the basement and that the fire appears to have been intentionally set. An overturned trash can, found in the boiler room of the basement, appeared to have been used to place charcoal on top of a ventilation duct in the ceiling, he said.
"It looked like there was a pile of charcoal placed on top of an insulated vent," Shrubb said. "Fortunately, the coals and the fire were started a couple of feet from a sprinkler head. I guess the person wasn't aware of it."
The fire was "put out before any substantial damage was done," he said, adding that part of the duct had been destroyed but would not require major repairs. Shrubb was unable to estimate the cost of repairing the damage.
Only a few students were in the basement at the time of the incident, he said. Shrubb said he did not know why someone would want to set the fire.
"We haven't made any enemies that I know of," he said. "I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to burn our house down."
Shrubb said he was aware of rumors that, in addition to charcoal, lighter fluid was used to start the fire.
"That could have been a factor, but like I said, we don't really know," he said. "My guess would be that if they had lighter fluid, they would have used that to enhance their means."
Shrubb said he did not know how long it took for firefighters to contain the fire. Several other AD members declined to comment.
Hanover Fire Chief Roger Bradley could not be reached for comment by press time. Other officials at the fire department were unable to provide information about the incident, except to say that the department's report remains incomplete and that the investigation is now being handled primarily by Hanover Police.
Staff writer Elise Quinones contributed to the reporting of this article.
