Flaming Couch Destroys South Dakota State Sigma Phi Delta House

Fraternity Fire Leaves SDSU Students Homeless

Members of Sigma Phi Delta engineering fraternity were left without a place to live when their house burned down early Saturday morning

The blaze was started when a couch on the porch caught on fire.

No one was injured in the fire, thanks to the work of one member who saw the blaze when he came home at1:30 a.m. and woke the members and guest who were sleeping in the house. They evacuated out the rear of the building to escape the flames coming from the front porch.

While the house was destroyed, the brothers managed to save their senior engineering project. The houseless brothers have arranged to stay with friends.

South Dakota State University Greek life adviser Trisha Nordaune said "Greek life, as a whole, the Red Cross and the university have all pulled together," and "the men of Sigma Phi Delta are very efficient. They had a plan in place for something like this. They definitely have their act together on what needs to be done."