The fire started in Building One of the Graduate Circle Apartments, a complex that holds eight apartments in each building, evacuating the entire building. The fire originated in the living room of the first floor apartment in Building One and climbed to the second floor apartment, Brown said. There is smoke and water damage, as well as broken windows in the other apartments in the building, but the most damage was done to the two apartments where the fire started, leaving those two uninhabitable, Brown said.

"Those apartments received heavy damage," he said.

Using fire hoses, firefighters worked to extinguish the smoldering flames for about an hour, knocking out the roof of the right side of Building One.

Penn State responded to the graduate students' evacuation by offering residents university housing options.

"We have some vacancies in the complex to house them," said Steve McCarthy, Penn State spokesman. "If there aren't enough, or not enough space in them, we'll put them up at the Penn Stater (hotel) for a night or two."

Brown said members of the Red Cross would be arriving to take care of the students' basic necessities.

Penn State Police Services commissioned auxiliary officers to guard the area because of the extensive damage to the building, McCarthy said last night.