Disturbing Video Shows Two Men Engulfed in Flames Tearing Off Burning Clothes as Ohio State Suspends Fraternity

Ohio State University has temporarily suspended its Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter after footage showed two men removing burning clothes during an incident now being investigated as alleged hazing. A preliminary police report describes injuries involving second- and third-degree burns, while university officials confirmed the men received medical care.

Columbus police are investigating alongside Ohio State University police and the Columbus Division of Fire's Arson Unit following the incident near the university's Columbus campus. The chapter remains under interim suspension pending a full university investigation, with the national fraternity also examining the circumstances.

Video of Ohio State Fire Shows Bystanders Intervening

One recording shows a man sitting on the ground with his trousers burning before he gets up, lunges at another man and tackles him. Both are then seen with their clothing on fire, rolling on the ground and trying to remove their clothes as several people intervene.

Some members of the surrounding crowd laugh and shout, while others move towards the men to help extinguish the flames. One onlooker appears to hold a small fire extinguisher, and many people gathered outside are wearing Ohio State's red and white colours.

Preliminary Police Report Details Burn Injuries

WOSU Public Media's account of the preliminary police report supplies the injury classifications, timing and alleged-hazing context, while published video descriptions provide the sequence visible in the recordings. The document describes the incident as 'dangerous' but does not name the injured people or specify which person sustained each degree of burn.

Ohio's Collin's Law, which took effect in 2021, defines hazing as acts connected to initiation into an organisation or continued membership that cause or create a substantial risk of mental or physical harm. It also requires specified officials acting in a professional capacity to immediately report their knowledge of hazing to law enforcement.

The report places the incident at the fraternity's house on Indianola Avenue at about 11am on Saturday, 7 November. Earlier coverage identified Sigma Alpha Epsilon as the gathering's host but suggested the fire occurred off its grounds, leaving the precise location inconsistently described.

Authorities Were Notified the Following Evening

The incident was not reported to authorities until about 9.30pm on Sunday, 8 November, when a caller said she had received a video through a group chat. It remains unclear whether that recording was the same one circulating publicly online.

Columbus police Sgt Joe Albert said officers received no calls for service at the location when the incident occurred. The department said it would work with university police and the fire service's Arson Unit to determine whether criminal acts had occurred.

University and National Fraternity Respond

University spokesperson Benjamin Johnson described the incident as 'extremely concerning' and confirmed referrals to law enforcement, but the initial university statement did not identify the men as students or explain the chapter's specific involvement. The interim suspension is a temporary measure, not a final disciplinary finding against the chapter.

The Lantern reported that the chapter has been sanctioned at least seven times since 2001, including a 2017 finding involving hazing. None of those cases has been linked to this incident.

Steve Mitchell, chief executive of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said the national organisation was investigating and working with university officials and local law enforcement.

'We take this matter seriously and are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident while working closely with university officials and local law enforcement,' he said.