Less than a week after a fire burned 39 fraternity members out of their home, the cost of rebuilding the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house has not been determined.

Alan Wunsch, Pi Lambda Phi's national executive director, said he visited State College Tuesday to be sure things were being handled properly and to support the members.

"Sometimes the process takes a little time," Wunsch said, adding that rebuilding will begin as soon but a specific date has not been decided.

Early Saturday morning, the fire at Pi Lambda Phi fraternity, 321 Fraternity Row, destroyed three rooms and caused significant smoke and water damage to the rest of the three-story house. About 60 people escaped unharmed.

Most former residents are temporarily living at Gateway Center Apartments, 646 E. College Ave. Wunsch said Pi Lambda Phi's insurance company will cover the cost of rent at Gateway because the house is uninhabitable. The house should be boarded up this week.

Alpha Fire Company Chief Steven Triebold said he is also waiting for the insurance report. The cause and origin of the fire, a candle left burning in a second-floor room, was determined Saturday, but the report has not been finalized.

Centre County Code Enforcement Officer Jon Weir said the fraternity was in accordance with codes requiring a certain number of fire extinguishers. He said usually one extinguisher per floor is adequate, but Weir said he knows there were at least six in the house before the fire.

He said Sunday that members attempted to use fire extinguishers on the blaze that apparently did not work.

Although the fraternity complied with the number of fire extinguishers required, it has been receiving fire code violation notices since an inspection on Sept. 8, 1992. Sixty-five fire codes were violated at the house.

A violation notice was sent to the fraternity just five days before the blaze, but Weir said the fraternity remedied the major violations, including the installation of a house-wide fire alarm system.

"There weren't many outstanding violations left as of the day of the fire," Weir said, adding that the fraternity had taken care of all but 15 minor violations. He said among these violations were missing handrails and a door that needed to be replaced.

Pi Lambda Phi fraternity members were scheduled to appear before District Justice Clifford Yorks today for the violations, but the case was held over until next Thursday.

The amount of fines the fraternity will be responsible for paying depends on the outcome of this hearing. Weir said fines for violating fire codes are $300 for the first violation, $600 for the second and $1,000 for subsequent violations.

Paul Freeman, deputy director of code administration, dispelled rumors that the fraternity had received eviction notices.

"We never ordered anyone to leave the premises or condemn the property," he said.

The fraternity's insurance company is Generali in London, said Ken Duke, vice president of client affairs at Harris & Harris of Kentucky Inc. Harris & Harris, which acts as Pi Lambda Phi's insurance broker and obtains their insurance, provides general liability insurance for 17 national fraternities, he said.

"The only thing we would do is help them establish the extent of the loss," Duke said.

Wunsch and an adjuster hired by the fraternity's insurance agent visited the fire site Tuesday to inspect the damages.