EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- Some students at the University of Oregon have been forced to stay at a hotel until their sorority or fraternity houses comply with the fire code.
Several of the houses have metal fire escapes, but the Eugene Fire Marshal says each house has to prove the fire escapes will work in an emergency.
Deputy Fire Marshal Sandra Johnston explained, “If certain areas, certain floors, certain parts of the building do not have those required exits, then the house needs to make other arrangements for the areas [whose safety] we can't guarantee.”
One sorority, Alpha Phi, says 38 women were displaced last week because the fire marshal told them no one could sleep on the third floor of their house. The sorority has to pay for hotel rooms until the city approves permits. The sorority’s leaders say those were submitted to the city weeks ago.
At least five houses with fire escapes are having trouble complying with the fire code. They hope to have the problems resolved in the next few weeks.
