56 signs seized from UM fraternity house

ORONO – Investigators looking into the cause of a fire that damaged a University of Maine fraternity house Wednesday found dozens of stolen signs from highways, construction sites and businesses across Maine.

State fire marshals made the decision to condemn the fraternity house Thursday afternoon.

Altogether, 56 signs worth about $10,000 were seized from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, said Sgt. Stewart Jacobs of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

They included traffic control signs, municipal street signs, restaurant signs and even a sign from the Yarmouth Elementary School, he said. Most of the signs were mounted on walls in rooms and in a basement lounge area.

A number of the street signs came from Greater Bangor, and Bangor Public Works has confirmed that some of the signs were missing, according to Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s Office. He said some of the stolen signs date back to 1999.

There has been no decision made as to whether charges will be pressed concerning the stolen signs, according to McCausland. He said the final decision likely would be made by the District Attorney’s Office after all reports concerning the incident are in.

Sprinklers helped to douse the fire Wednesday, and 24 students living in the chapter house escaped without injury. The blaze was traced to clothing draped over a lamp in a third-floor bedroom.

Investigators found a number of safety violations including electrical problems and disabled smoke detectors. The sprinkler system in the house was working at the time of the fire, but must now be recharged, according to McCausland. Other violations in the house included combustibles in the boiler room and exits to the building blocked by trash and debris.

“Until the fraternity comes forward with a plan, approved by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, it will not be reopened,” McCausland said.

For now, students who were forced out by water and smoke damage will not be allowed to return, Jacobs said. The students must find other housing. Many already are rooming with friends both on and off campus.

“First and foremost, our concern is for the safety of the occupants,” the investigator said Thursday. “The search warrant just spun out of investigating circumstances of the fire.”

Investigators noticed the signs when they entered the house and returned later with a search warrant, Jacobs said.

Among the signs were one welcoming visitors to the town of Orono and others from DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant in Portland and the Red Lion restaurant in Bangor, along with other construction and road signs.