In ten years, 71 fires have resulted in student deaths.
Wednesday, a group of UNC sorority and fraternity fire marshals partnered with the Chapel Hill Fire Department to prevent future fires. They installed fire alarms and inspected 70 off-campus residences as part of Campus Fire Safety Month, a collaboration of the Chapel Hill Fire Department, UNC and the Michael H. Minger Foundation.
The program is designed to promote fire and carbon monoxide alarm installations, house safety checks and distribution of fire safety information.
“As fire marshals in our fraternities, it’s our duty to make sure our houses are safe,” said Stewart Smith, a sophomore in the UNC chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, who joined another fire marshal and two fire department officials for the inspections.
Fire department officials said a total of 71 fatal fires have occurred within the past decade in Greek, on-campus or off-campus housing.
In the aftermath of a 1996 fire that took the lives of five people inside the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, local fire departments have taken proactive efforts to serve students living off-campus, said Chapel Hill Fire Marshal Matt Lawrence.
He said that every UNC fraternity and sorority has since submitted an inspection request, though other students have enlisted the program’s support, as well.
“The fire marshals are extremely helpful, educating, and we really appreciate them coming in,” said sophomore Katie Stark, a member of UNC’s chapter of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
Since the Phi Gamma Delta fire, Greek organizations have gone to extended measures to ensure that their houses are safer.
