Officials: Fire at Arkansas Fraternity Suspicious

University of Arkansas police say an explosion and fire at a Fayetteville fraternity is suspicious.

The blast and subsequent blaze at Garland House early Saturday sent debris from 22 broken windows into a parking lot and caused the collapse of about 400 feet of brick facade.

University spokesman Steve Voorhies says the fraternity’s sprinkler system kept the fire small. He says the fraternity was vacant because of summer vacation and that no one was injured.

Police Lt. Matt Mills said Monday he could not say if any accelerant was used to start the fire. Voorhies says the fire appeared to start in the building’s basement.

The building was scheduled to undergo about $3 million in renovations this fall, although Voorhies says those plans now are on hold.

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette