Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for February 8, 2008 CJSHS FIRE

Classes Canceled at Cairo Jr/Sr High School Friday, February 8th. Faculty and staff asked to report at regular time.

By: Emily Eddington

CAIRO -- Multiple fire departments responded to a fire at Cairo Junior-Senior High School around 5:15 Thursday evening. Classes at the school are canceled Friday as fire officials investigate and school leaders start cleaning up.

Principal Lynn Byrd says a little after five Thursday some students were taking part in after-school tutoring, when one student told the principal he smelled smoke. Byrd then found that a couch in a storage room on the opposite side of the building was on fire.

"We don't know how it got started," says Byrd, "normally we just put equipment there for storage purposes."

But now a storage area and a hallway nearby contain damage from fire and smoke. Byrd says a quick response from area fire departments kept the situation from getting any worse.

"They were johnny on the spot. I was at the back of the building to direct them to the appropriate area," Byrd says, "We had fire departments from the surrounding area as well as local and auxiliary emergency services were here-- they were here within minutes."

Byrd says crews had the situation under control in an hour and a half. He does not believe students were near the storage room at the time and he does not think the fire is suspicious.

"Not at this particular point in time. I think this is something that's unique, separate, and apart," says Byrd.

As crews use fans to clear smoke from the hallway and surrounding areas, Byrd says he'll soon have a big clean-up on his hands. "I know the Cairo community will band together and we'll all work together and get our school ready for our kids."

Faculty and staff are asked to report to school Friday at the regular time. School is only canceled at the Junior-Senior high school, classes at Bennett and Emerson Elementary are still in session.

Byrd says school leaders will hold a meeting to determine a course of action for clean-up. The state fire marshall will also be at the school Friday conducting an investigation.

KFVS TV Channel 12 announced on their evening news Friday at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. that the State Fire Marshall determined that the fire at CJSHS was "suspicious".