A Penn State fraternity chapter has launched an online fundraiser to help its members relocate after a fire on July 9 caused extensive damage to their house.
The GoFundMe campaign was established after the Alpha Zeta house at 360 N. Burrowes Rd. sustained major fire damage to the third floor and attic, along with smoke and water damage throughout the rest of the building.
Members of the agricultural interest fraternity were not on site at the time of the blaze, but intended to live there for the upcoming academic year.
“Without common living areas to be able to prepare and serve food, as well as the spaces where members study together, mentor one another, and build lifelong friendships, the chapter has lost far more than just a place to live,” according to the fundraiser page. “Alpha Zeta hopes you will support our members financially in efforts to relocate them, so that they can continue to pursue their academics and achieve high scholarship at Penn State.”
As of Monday afternoon, the campaign has raised $5,130 of its $9,000 goal.
Multiple fire companies responded to the house next to Rec Hall on the University Park campus on Thursday afternoon and found smoke and flames on the upper floor and roof.
The blaze took more than an hour to control, and while no injuries were reported, several firefighters received rehab treatment for heat-related fatigue, Centre Region Fire Director Shawn Kauffman said.
Contractors who were working on the house at the time called in the fire and attempted to extinguish it before firefighters arrived. Kauffman said on Thursday he believed the fire was related to construction activities, but did not know exactly where or how it started.
An official cause has not yet been released. The Centre Region Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire was unintentional.
Alpha Zeta is a co-ed honorary, professional society for students and industry professionals in the agriculture and natural resources fields. After it was founded nationally in 1897, the Penn State chapter was established in 1898.
The Penn State chapter’s house was completed in 1915, making it the second oldest fraternity house on campus, according to Alpha Zeta.
