The three students displaced by the Feb. 4 fire at Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority's physical plant are expected to move back by the weekend of Feb. 25 following extensive repair work on the house, according to Bernard Haskell, assistant director of operations for the Office of Residential Life.
The three women have been displaced since the fire as a result of extensive damage to their rooms, EKT president Claire Hunter '12 said.
One of the displaced students has been living in North Fayerweather Hall, while the other two sorority members have been staying in North Massachusetts Hall.
The fire originated in a second floor bathroom, traveled through the ceiling into a room across the hall and stopped in that room's closet. To extinguish the fire, police officers removed portions of the house, including sections of the floor and wall of Piszczek's third-floor room, she said.
Over the past week and a half, ORL has worked with Facilities, Operations and Management to address the damage caused by the fire, Haskell said.
"The painters have cleaned up all the burnt section because what we want to do is capsulate that so it doesn't smell," Haskell said.
Workers have also installed new wiring, fixed ducts, removed carpets and installed new sheetrock, Haskell said. Current repair plans include painting and installing new carpet, which will enable the displaced students to return to their rooms.
"We've been moving right along," Haskell said. "We still have work to do in the bathroom, but that can wait we just want to get the students back to the rooms."
ORL collaborated with SERVPRO, a damage restoration service that deals with the aftermath of fires, Haskell said. Representatives from the company professionally cleaned personal items affected by the fire, wiped down rooms and cleaned furniture.
The final cost of the repairs is not yet known, Haskell said.
Overall, EKT members have been happy with the work that has been done and understand that restoration takes time, Hunter said.
"In these kind of events, it's unfortunate that people have to be relocated," Hunter said. "It's not like it's going to be repaired overnight, so you have to be patient."
However, being displaced is still frustrating for those involved and poses a disruption to everyday life, Piszczek said.
"My room in Theta has become kind of my home," she said.
Despite the inconvenience, the sorority's members have received support from both each other and the College, which has "been good at giving us what we need and making provisions for us," Hunter said.
Despite the shock of the fire, the situation was handled effectively, and the sorority has no plans to do anything differently in the future, Hunter said. The sorority's physical plant underwent customary inspections last term, making the fire a "freak accident."
"Since it was an electrical malfunction, there's nothing we specifically can do," Hunter said. "We are very conscious as a house of safety in general, so we actually handled this very well."
"The damage was mostly by the firemen having to put it out," Hunter said.
Immediately following the fire, all 23 members of EKT were moved to the Lodge residence hall, where it was easiest to find vacant space, for two nights, Hunter said.
