Police in Blacksburg are investigating a suspicious fire at the Zeta Psi fraternity house on Roanoke Street.

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Video: Click here to watch amateur footage of the fire (Realplayer required)

The blaze, which caused heavy damage to the house, began early Monday when a couch on the porch caught fire, said Blacksburg Fire Chief Keith Bolte. The fire quickly spread inside the house before being put out soon after firefighters arrived at around 1:45 a.m.

The fire seriously damaged the porch and the first floor of the house and caused heat and smoke damage on the second floor, Bolte said. The preliminary damage estimate is $75,000.

On Monday afternoon, fraternity brothers gathered in front of the house and looked into the charred building. Eric Kazlauskas, a 20-year-old fraternity brother, said five fraternity members and a visitor were inside the house at the time of the fire. All escaped without injury, he said.

Kazlauskas would not talk about how the fire began, but insinuated that it had been set by someone on purpose.

"If someone gets arrested we'll make a comment," Kazlauskas said.

-- Joe Eaton