A fire panic yesterday afternoon at Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity on 45 Avenue Northeast and 21 Avenue Northeast had neighboring Greek houses united in an effort to quell the flames.

An electrical spark that set a basement mattress ablaze torched an entire room and drew a large crowd of neighbors and passersby as the fire department arrived to extinguish the fire.

"I got a phone call that Tekes was on fire," said Alpha Epsilon Pi brother Seth Goldstein. "I went over there and gave them...two fire extinguishers. I stood outside and there was smoke coming out of the back of the house."

The house was equipped with fire extinguishers, but other neighboring houses also rushed to the fraternity's aid.

"We would have expected it, but it's good to know that we have good neighbors and that they would be there for us when something like this happens," said Tau Kappa Epsilon President Christopher Hoyt.

After receiving a call from house cook Dennis Notman, the fire department arrived and contained the fire in short order.

"There were three people who thought they may have had some smoke inhalation, but they're OK," said Deputy Fire Chief Steve Oleson. "There were no injuries...We got lucky. In a high occupancy situation like this, a fire puts a lot of people at risk."

Hoyt said the department's response time was about 10 minutes, but Notman maintained that authorities arrived in good time.

"[After house residents] came into the kitchen and asked for a fire extinguisher. ... I called the fire department, and they were here in about two minutes," Notman said.

Despite property damage, the structural integrity remains intact.

"The fire was in one of the basement rooms, but there were no injuries or serious damage," Hoyt said. "The room was completely covered in smoke, but there was no structural damage."

After the fire was contained, investigators entered the property to assess the damage and determine the cause, accompanied by insurance agency representatives, who interviewed several of the house's occupants.

"Now we're contacting [fire damage] restoration to make sure the house is safe for everybody," said David Ludwig, Tau Kappa Epsilon house manager.

Dozens of spectators gathered outside even after the fire was extinguished.

"I've got some extra mattresses if they need them," said the mother of an Alpha Epsilon Pi member.

Chantal Anderson contributed to this story.

[Reach reporters Jeff Tripoli and Chantal Anderson at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]