A fire that gutted portions of a University of Georgia fraternity house Saturday morning but caused no injuries was intentionally set, according to state Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine.
The fire injured none of the 31 students who were sleeping in the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity house, authorities said.
Oxendine said the suspected arsonist used materials found in the kitchen to set several fires that spread to the dining room.
The blaze was stopped by a firewall installed during a recent renovation that protected the 50-year-old house's bedrooms and living quarters, Oxendine said.
"They went in the kitchen and found things that were flammable, and set multiple fires," Oxendine said.
A campus police officer spotted the fire, which began about 4:18 a.m. Saturday, according to UGA Police Capt. Lisa Boone. The officer helped evacuate the students and called the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department, which put out the flames around 4:27 a.m., Boone said.
The rear of the house was scorched and blackened, but authorities say the building suffered little structural damage.
"The fire damage is confined to the kitchen area," said Battalion Chief Doug Brown of the Athens-Clarke fire department. "Then there's smoke and heat damage to the dining area."
State fire marshals, UGA police and county firefighters are investigating the fire.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information should call the arson hotline at 800-282-5804. Callers may choose to remain anonymous, Oxendine said.
UGA spokesman Tom Jackson said temporary housing is being arranged for the 31 residents of the house.
"We are extremely grateful that there was no injury in what could have been a very serious situation," said UGA president Michael Adams. "We regret the loss of property but are thankful that our students escaped."
The Nu chapter of Tau Epsilon Phi has 67 members. It was founded as a fraternity for Jewish students in 1919, according to the fraternity's Web site.
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