Fraternity fire possibly arson (w/incident report)

Haystack fire causes damage

By: JULIA SEVY

Posted: 8/26/08

The Chi Phi fraternity house suffered damages after someone set fire to a haystack outside Saturday morning, according to University Police.

The officer arrived at the house on Lumpkin Street at 2:20 a.m. and saw "hay smoldering on the ground next to the emergency exit door," police reported.

The awning over the emergency exit door was damaged by the fire, and the door itself was charred.

There was "heavy smoke on the second floor" of the house, but no fire was found inside the building, the report said.

The Clarke County Fire Department extinguished the hay and checked the rest of the house for additional fire. None was found.

Athens-Clarke County police officers helped people leave the building, which was already partially evacuated, the report stated.

Officials are unsure what caused the fire. The report was filed as an arson and stated the cause appeared to be the result of someone lighting the hay next to the building on fire.

Also in police reports:

A University student faces felony charges following his arrest Saturday morning.

Police found Daniel Joseph Kinley, 20, in possession of a fixed blade knife and a chain with a metal handle in his pants pocket, according to the University report.

Kinley carried a 4 1/8-inch long fixed blade knife in his waistband and a 31-inch chain with a 5 1/4-inch metal handle in his pants pocket.

Officer Cpl. T. Taylor observed Kinley, a junior from Acworth, walking through the Tate Center Plaza at 12:29 a.m.

Kinley appeared to "stagger" from left to right and "attempted to cross Lumpkin Street against the light and began to step out in front of an approaching vehicle."

The officer found a fake ID, which Kinley said he had used to get into a downtown bar earlier that night.

Kinley was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, two felony counts of weapon on school grounds, underage possession, pedestrian under the influence and possession of a fake ID.