A fire near 40th and Sansom Streets Sunday afternoon destroyed the upper level of a residence leased by five male seniors.
No one was injured.
The fire -- which was reported at approximately 2:45 p.m. -- was caused either by faulty electrical wiring or by an overloaded power strip located in one of the third-story bedrooms at at 4034 Sansom St.
College senior Will Arbuckle, who lives in the house, said the smell of smoke alerted him to the situation.
"Three of us were in the house," Arbuckle said. "After realizing that [the smell] wasn't burning food, we saw that one of the third-floor bedrooms was full of smoke and fire. I tried to put it out with the fire extinguisher, but I couldn't breathe or see anything, so we called 911."
Arbuckle said firefighters spent about two hours extinguishing the flames.
"The Fire Department ripped out the windows, and then they pulled apart the walls and the ceilings," he said. "They put holes in the ceiling and in the floor so that the water spread throughout the house."
The damage will cost thousands of dollars to repair, Arbuckle said.
Campus Apartments, which manages the property, said that the damage to the house will be covered by insurance.
Wharton senior Pete Amaro, who lived in the bedroom where the fire started, lost all his possessions.
"Everything was gone," he said. "The only thing I had was the clothes on my back. That was it. Everything was destroyed. My laptop was melted. It was pretty crazy."
Arbuckle agreed, adding that "the third floor looks like a war zone; the room is completely incinerated and black."
David Adelman, chief executive officer of Campus Apartments, said the residence is currently unsuitable for living.
The students have temporarily moved into the Sheraton University City Hotel, courtesy of the University. Campus Apartments paid for the first few days and is currently working to find the students a residence for the remainder of the school year.
Arbuckle said the University -- particularly the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life -- has been extremely supportive and helpful in finding the students clothing and food.
No other houses on the block were damaged.
