‘No foul play suspected,’ chief says. What we know, don’t know about the Hammond school fire
Part of Hammond School, one of the Midlands most prominent private schools, caught fire Wednesday. The Columbia Fire Department was called at about 8:15 p.m to battle the fire.
“No foul play is suspected” at the moment, Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins said Thursday morning.
The damage totaled about a million dollars after the fire was extinguished, Jenkins said.
Here’s what we know and don’t know about the fire.
What caused the fire?
The cause of the fire is still unclear as of Thursday morning. The Columbia Fire Department said a cause and determination investigation is still underway.
An investigator with the state fire marshal’s office was at the scene of the fire Wednesday to assist the Columbia Fire Department, Jenkins said.
Injuries and damages
The Columbia Fire Department said that no one was injured in the fire.
The fire was in Hammond’s lower school in a single building, officials said. It damaged a couple of classrooms, but the fire department was able to prevent it from spreading to an adjacent building that serves as the cafeteria.
In total, the fire cost about $1 million in damages, Jenkins said.
When can students go to class?
Officials said classes in Hammond’s lower school, grades pre-K through 4th grade were canceled for Thursday.
Plans are underway to get students back on campus as soon as possible, said Cissy Pope, a spokesperson for Hammond.
Exactly how long classes will be canceled or where those classes might be moved to is unclear.
What happens next?
While Chief Jenkins said no foul play is expected at this time, the investigation into the fire is ongoing.
That means arson has not been ruled out, though it seems unlikely at this time. If arson is determined, the Columbia Police Department will become involved. Police investigators will be tasked with tracking down who started the fire if arson is determined.
But as of Thursday morning, the Columbia Police Department is not involved in the investigation.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 10:21 AM.