Student Credits Rope Ladder For Helping Him Escape Blaze

student who escaped from a burning fraternity house near Western Kentucky University credited a smoke detector and a rope ladder for saving his life.

Four men were in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house early Sunday when the fire broke out and destroyed the fraternity house.

Michael Casagrande, a junior from Louisville, said he escaped unscathed because of the $30 rope ladder his parents had purchased for him.

"I told them it was a waste of money," he said. "When we moved in, I threw it next to the window so I knew right where it was."

Casagrande said he was awakened by the smoke detector.

"I went out in the hall and got one gulp of smoke and couldn't breath," he said. "I ran to the window and threw out the ladder. ... I didn't know it at the time, but (the house) was fully engulfed (in flames) at the bottom of the stairs."

Casagrande said another fraternity member on the first floor heard two others yelling from upstairs. "He drove his truck around and they jumped into it ... and then they heard me around back and came and held the ladder," Casagrande said.

Casagrande said he called his parents and thanked them for the ladder.

The university is providing temporary housing for any of the 13 or so fraternity members who need it and is helping them get books, school supplies and personal items, said WKU President Gary Ransdell.

The house was insured, and what's left of it will be torn down. The fire pushed forward the fraternity's plans to relocate in WKU's planned Greek Village.

Bowling Green Assistant Fire Chief Richard Story said it would probably take several days to determine what caused the fire.


(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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