Isner went to Chapel Hill on Monday, May 13, to study the scene the day after the blaze. Fraternities singled out Because of findings like these, fraternity houses have been singled out for study by fire protection specialists. In 1995, Alan Sactor, the senior fire protection specialist at the University of Maryland at College Park, presented the university's fire inspection program for Greek facilities at a conference of the National Safety Council Campus Safety Association 1 . This program takes into account that managing fire risk is made more difficult at fraternities because they're often located off campus and are usually privately owned. The University of Maryland's program acknowledges several other factors that challenge fire protection professionals in college communities nationwide.
Many Greek houses are older buildings of balloon construction with open stairways.
Poor building upkeep and housekeeping practices, and failure to maintain inspection-level status over time also contribute to higher risk at fraternities. The situation is compounded by occupant behavior, Sactor writes, which often includes large parties, rough treatment of the building, and frequent guests who may not be familiar with the exits and fire alarm systems. Sactor cites frequent inspections, follow-up inspections, and fire drills as part of the University of Maryland's program to address deficiencies. Yet, such inspections can only go so far in preventing fraternity fires. Officials stated that local code violations weren't a factor in this recent fraternity house blaze.