A London man is charged following a fire during a Christmas party at a fraternity house that injured six people.
Five women were taken to hospital with burns, including one whose injuries were critical, and a man was treated at the scene after a fire at about 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house at 925 Richmond St.
Bryson James Donald, 20, turned himself in to police on Thursday and was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, police said. He was scheduled to appear in court Friday.
London Fire Department platoon Chief Gary Mosburger previously said there was a Christmas party at the home and wrapping paper and an accelerant played a role in the blaze. Occupants used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames before fire crews arrived and damage was estimated at less than $1,000.
The injured women are members of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, according to an online fundraiser launched Friday.
“We are asking for any support to help the families during this extremely difficult time and to help cover medical expenses, family transportation and lodging, as well as additional familial support. Any contribution will help ease the burden on the families as they navigate this tragic situation,” the organizer of the fundraiser wrote.
The three-storey home, at the northwest corner of Richmond and Cheapside streets, has become a source of frustration for neighbours who have complained about loud parties that last late into the night and other rowdy behaviour.
Bylaw officers have been dispatched to the home in the past as a result of neighbour complaints and to carry out proactive enforcement, a city hall spokesperson said.
Property records show Mattison MacRae Chinneck bought the house in July 2017 for $631,000. MacRaeChinneck, a Toronto-based lawyer, didn’t respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Ward 6 Coun. Sam Trosow, who represents the area around Western University, said he would like to see school officials take action.
“The university needs to enforce its code of conduct,” he said, referring the school’s set of rules that was expanded in 2019 to include off-campus behaviour.
Trosow, who called the fraternity house the “most persistent nuisance property” in the neighbourhood, said his constituents are hopeful action will be taken to address their concerns.
Western officials declined to confirm Donald is a student and whether he could face discipline under the code of conduct.
“In line with privacy rules, the university does not comment on whether an individual is or is not a student at Western,” spokesperson Marcia Steyaert said in an email.