Saturday, August 25, s007

Fire At LCHS Was Arson

Authorities indicate that a fire inside the library at Lawrence County High School Friday night was intentionally set. 

Fire Investigator Shayne Adams said Saturday morning that the fire, discovered around 7:30pm was ignited on a desktop inside the library.

Adams said that LCHS school resource officer Chad Dorning was inside the school at the time along with Deputy John Akins.  Someone pulled the fire alarm alerting Dorning and Akins to the fire.

They quickly located the blaze and extinguished it  before members of the Lawrenceburg Fire Department arrived on the scene.

Adams indicated that first thoughts were that the fire had sparked due to on-going Geo Thermal construction work at the school, however, “There’s just no other explanation…it was set…unfortunately we’re having a lot of those lately.”

Adams reported that interviews were conducted until around midnight with some of the construction workers and others.  Investigation is continuing at the current time.

Damages, Adams said, were minimal, confined to the desktop.  The library did however sustain heavy smoke damages.

“We’re dealing with a very short time frame,” Adams stated, “between when we know there was no fire and the time it was discovered.”

The fire call sounded at about the same time as the annual Van Johnson Cup Game (the annual kickoff to the LCHS and Loretto High School football seasons)  was set to begin.  Hundreds of game-goers were on campus at that time.  Anyone who may have noticed any suspicious activity or anyone around the main building is asked to contact the Lawrenceburg Police Department at 762-2676.

The ruckus resulted in a delay in the football game.  A brief thunderstorm then further delayed the game.  Around 8:30 officials decided to postpone the game until Saturday night.

The game is slated to get underway at 7:30pm tonight at LCHS.

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