DEXTER, Miss. — The Mississippi State Fire Marshal has ruled the fire that destroyed the main building at Dexter Attendance Center was accidental, although a specific cause of the fire was not cited.
The 80-year-old building, where a number of Washington Parish residents were educated, went up in flames late on the afternoon of Friday, June 3.
Walthall County Fire Investigator Bobby McGinnis told the Tylertown Times that fire marshals sifted through debris and rubble for several weeks as they sought to determine the cause.
He said a specific source of the fire may never be known, but that he was amazed the school records survived the blaze.
“Most of the soft metals melted … copper, aluminum, coins they had in the office. And there were cabinets that were twisted and warped and open as a result of the fire.
“I’m impressed by the fireproof record cabinets. It’s hard to believe they survived. They were sitting on the ground … the wooden floor burned and when it collapsed, that’s where they landed.”
While the records survived, all of the trophies and photos of graduating classes were destroyed.
The major problem facing school officials now is the cleanup. Because the old building contained asbestos, it is all mixed in the rubble and will require special handling and disposal during the cleanup.
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