Campus Alert Archive
Ferris State

Power Cuts Out, a Wall Turns Warm, and a Ferris State Frat House Burns — Everyone, Including the Dog, Gets Out

MIfireadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the morning of Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Sigma Pi fraternity house at 218 W. Pine St. in Big Rapids caught fire near Ferris State University. Members noticed the power went out around 8 a.m., then smelled smoke and felt a warm wall before calling the fire department. All eight residents of the Theta Theta chapter — and their dog, Mars — escaped without injury. Ferris State announced it would provide temporary housing and supplies to the displaced students.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Ferris State University
Public Masters · MI
~10,000 studentsFerris State Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTWebsite
Approximate reconstructionThe Ferris State Torch (avoid-the-area notice reconstructed from coverage)139 chars
Crews are responding to a structure fire at a fraternity house on W. Pine St. in Big Rapids. Please avoid the area while firefighters work.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Members reported the power went out around 8 a.m. on June 5, 2024, before they smelled smoke and felt a warm wall and called the fire department; this avoid-the-area notice is reconstructed from coverage and is marked unconfirmed.
Because the house at 218 W. Pine St. is an off-campus fraternity residence, any communication functioned as a discretionary advisory rather than a campus-wide emergency notification.
The fire happened during the summer term when far fewer students were on campus, which limited the breadth of any alert.
FOLLOW-UPWebsite
Approximate reconstructionUpNorthLive (university support statement reconstructed from coverage)203 chars
Ferris State University will provide temporary housing and supplies to students whose fraternity house was significantly damaged in a fire. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Ferris State announced temporary housing, food, and supplies for the displaced Theta Theta chapter members; this support statement is reconstructed from UpNorthLive's reporting and is marked unconfirmed.
This is a follow-up support message, not an all-clear — there was no campus shelter order to lift, and the operative news was the institution's displacement response.
Coverage emphasized that all eight residents and the fraternity's dog escaped uninjured, the central reassurance of the follow-up.
Context

Background

The Theta Theta chapter of Sigma Pi at Ferris State University lived at 218 W. Pine St. in Big Rapids, Michigan. On the morning of June 5, 2024, members noticed the power had gone out around 8 a.m., then smelled smoke and felt a warm wall before calling the fire department. WZZM 13 reported the house was heavily damaged, while WOOD TV described a fraternity brother clearing the house during the fire. All eight residents and their dog Mars escaped without injury, and UpNorthLive reported Ferris State provided temporary housing and supplies to the displaced students. The case rounds out the Greek-life fire record at a smaller regional public university, where the institutional response centered on displacement support rather than a campus-wide Clery emergency notification.
Analysis

Key Findings

All eight Sigma Pi residents and their dog escaped a heavily damaging fire at Ferris State's Theta Theta chapter house with no injuries
Members were first tipped off by a power outage around 8 a.m., then smoke and a warm wall, before calling the fire department
Ferris State University provided temporary housing, food, and supplies to the displaced students
The off-campus, summer-term setting meant the response was a support advisory rather than a campus-wide emergency notification
Outcome
No injuries were reported. The house was heavily damaged and the cause was under investigation. Ferris State University provided temporary housing, food, and supplies to the displaced fraternity members.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Sigma Pi house catches fire - The Ferris State Torch
    fsutorch.com
  2. News
    Ferris State University fraternity house heavily damaged in fire - WZZM 13
    wzzm13.com
  3. News
    Ferris State fraternity brother clears house during fire - WOOD TV
    woodtv.com
  4. News
    Ferris State provides temporary housing to students after fire at fraternity house - UpNorthLive
    upnorthlive.com
Tags
firefraternitygreek-lifesigma-pimichiganbig-rapidsdisplacementadvisory
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion