The fire at the Alpha Tau Omega house was caused by overloaded electrical service, said Charleston Fire Department officials.

Chief Kris Phipps said the insurance company would investigate if the electrical breaker within the house was at fault or if the circuit was overloaded.

Firefighters were called at 6:53 p.m. Thursday night to the ATO house, 509 Lincoln Ave. No injuries were reported in the blaze.

Phipps said about $25,000 in damage was reported to the house. Electrical rewiring would be required along with cleaning up smoke damage, he added.

The residents identified the fire while they were grilling outside, Phipps said. One of the residents disconnected power to the building after noticing smoke coming from the electrical box, he added

Phipps said the residents did a good job of notifying the department and making sure the house was clear.

The residents were not allowed to move back into the house because a permit is needed for the electrical repairs to make sure the house is up to building codes, Phipps said. Residents of the house were able to find temporary housing, he added.

The first reporting of the story can be seen here.

Matt Hopf can be reached at 581-7942 or at mthopf@eiu.edu.