AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION: Weekend fire kills five students at Bloomsburg U.

Homecoming Weekend festivities turned tragic at Bloomsburg University last weekend, as an off-campus house fire claimed the lives of five present and former Bloomsburg students. Four Beta Sigma Delta fraternity brothers were living in the privately-owned residence, which erupted into flames early last Friday morning, according to Bloomsburg spokesperson Mark Lloyd. All of them, along with a Chi Sigma Rho sorority sister, were killed. "The cause [of the fire] has not been determined, because the fire marshal has not concluded his investigation," Lloyd added. But Columbia County coroner Ali Alley, who identified the victims through dental records, told the Associated Press he believes the blaze started in a sofa, which had caught fire earlier in the evening and been moved to the house's front porch after being doused with water. Alley has ruled the students' deaths accidental, caused by smoke inhalation. Bloomsburg, which is located about two-and-a-half hours from Philadelphia, initiated a grief counseling program within two hours after the fire was reported, Lloyd said. A rumor-control and 24-hour telephone hot-line are still in place, he added, and a memorial service has been planned for tomorrow evening. "This tragedy has touched all of our lives," Bloomsburg President Jessica Kozloff stated this week in an open letter to the university community. "The entire community extends its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of its young people. We join with them in mourning those who perished in this fire." Homecoming festivities proceeded as planned, except the dedication of a new library site and the Homecoming parade, which students spontaneously replaced with a vigil for the fire victims. Although all of the victims had been Bloomsburg students, only three were currently enrolled. About 3,000 of Bloomsburg's 7,000 students live off-campus, whether in their own homes as commuters, in independent apartment complexes, or in Greek houses, Lloyd said. Bloomsburg administrators have pledged to work with town officials to investigate student life issues, including off-campus living, in the wake of this incident. Unlike the University, Bloomsburg does not provide or regulate housing for any Greek groups. James Miller, director of the University's Office of Fire and Occupational Safety, said his office performs inspections of fraternity and sorority houses' fire safety systems several times a year, to ensure compliance with city fire codes. "It's an on-going, pretty active program," he said. The fire codes are written based on the number of people occupying a building, Miller added. Because of their size, all Greek houses are required to have at least a system of fire alarms in place. Additionally, any buildings with "wood joist" construction under the direction of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs or the Department of Residential Living -- including King's Court and the Quadrangle -- must have a sprinkler system designed for fire suppression. The University's policies regarding Greek houses were instituted following a fatal fire during a 1967 Christmas party in the former Delta Tau Delta fraternity house on Locust Walk, which now houses the Craig Sweeten Alumni Center. "Sprinklers are annually certified, tested and checked," Miller said. "Some have tamper valves, which are chained in the open position. "It's like having an 'iron fireman' on the scene -- sprinklers are successful 98 percent of the time, except when someone has shut off the water supply," he added.