Shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday a trash fire occurred at 1515 W. Riverside Ave., Jim Clevenger, battalion chief for the Muncie Fire Department, said.
A dumpster in the alley behind the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity was intentionally lit on fire by unknown individuals, Clevenger said.
No buildings were damaged, but a telephone pole next to the dumpster caught on fire, Clevenger said. Also, overhanging power lines and one vehicle was damaged, he said.
The flames of the fire rose approximately 10 to 15 feet, and the diameter of the area burned was 10 to 15 feet wide, Clevenger said.
Jeff Nevolo, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said visitors at the house were instructed to stay inside and the fire department was called and arrived in a timely manner.
"The tone of the house is ... very proud of the fact that we didn't run after them," Nevolo said.
Dave Segraves, fraternity member, owns the Ford F-150 truck that was damaged. He said it is still driveable, although the front end is melted.
"It doesn't look so hot ... or maybe it looks too hot now," he said.
Residents of the house have filed a police report, Nevolo said.
Fraternity members are worried about the effect the fire may have on the annual haunted house scheduled for next weekend, Nevolo said.
"It was malicious towards the house," Segraves said. "I think some jerk just lit our trash on fire and didn't think it would get as big as it did."
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