CLEMSON, S.C.
--
Officials said that a fraternity house at Clemson University was destroyed by fire on Thursday morning.
The fire happened at the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity house on Calhoun Street at 7:21 a.m.
More than 30 firefighters from nearly a dozen departments were called in to help battle the blaze. They were dousing hot spots with water more than two hours after the fire started.
Fraternity members said that during the regular school year, about 35 people stay at the house, but Clemson officials said that because of the summer season, only six people were staying at the home at the time.
"Three had already left for work," said Clemson director of media relations Robin Denny. "Three were in the house."
A small crowd gathered at the scene to see what was going on. One of them was a fraternity alumnus who previously lived at the home.
"I was one of the first people to live in this house in the early 70s," said Jack Davis, an Alpha Gamma Rho alumnus. "We put a lot of work into it, and we had just recently put more work in to it. It's a sad day."
The American Red Cross was helping the six people displaced by the blaze.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but officials said it appears to have started in the kitchen area in the back of the house.
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