CHARLESTON - A fire late Wednesday afternoon severely damaged the rental house where five members of Eastern Illinois University's cross country and track teams were living.

However, the athletes will likely not be homeless for very long. Offers of lodging assistance poured in at the fire scene on Third Street behind Arby's from the EIU Housing Office, the local American Red Cross Chapter, coaches and fellow athletes.

"They have been great. You have to appreciate everything they have done for us," said resident Nathan Pepper of Glen Carbon, adding that EIU President Lou Hencken met with him and his roommates at the scene.

Pepper, who had moved into the house a month ago, said he and his teammates were practicing nearby when a woman told them a house behind Arby's was on fire. He said this alarmed the whole team because several of the athletes live in that neighborhood.

"We all kind of sprinted out here at practice because we didn't know which house it was," Pepper said.

As the five roommates watched Charleston firefighters extinguish the blaze, other cross country and track team members gathered in the street and on nearby lawns.

"It's a tight crew. Everyone will come together and take care of everybody," said John Sipple, a graduate assistant who helps coach the teams.

Chief Darell Nees said firefighters were called to the scene at about 3:15 p.m. and found the northeast corner of the house, the site of a back porch, fully engulfed in flames.

Nees said his crews quickly extinguished the fire by initially pouring water into the center of the house to keep the flames isolated in the back.

Wesley and Mildred Ballsrud, who own the fire-damaged house, said they were doubtful that the house could be recovered. They said they were thankful no one was home at the time the fire started.

Rob Stroud can be reached at rstroud@;jg-tc.com or 348-5734.