Firemen stop investigating Fowler fire

FOWLER - Firefighters have stopped investigating the cause of a fire at a Benton County school.

Fowler Fire Chief Bill Burton said it is too difficult to determine the cause. The fire started on a pile of rubble near the school.

"I looked out my back door and I saw everything in a glow," said Tammy Muthig.

"When I came out to get the newspaper I saw the smoke building on the top pile and the fire trucks out here," said Kevin Becker.

Fowler resident Kevin Becker watched as firefighters battled flames at the old Fowler Public School. The school, which was in the process of being demolished, caught fire at around eight o'clock Sunday morning.

"By the time we got to the station uptown you could see the flames. They were ten, fifteen, twenty feet in the air. Smoke filled everywhere. Basically we poured water on it until we got an excavating company back here so they could move it out," said Burton.

The Superintendent of Benton Community Schools, Ross Sloat, said the flames added to the already somber feelings of losing the old school building.

"It's damaging enough to have it demolished. This draws attention. You see it destroyed and now it's burning. It kind of drags it out," said Sloat.

 Chief Burton suspects vandalism may have started the blaze.

"I think it had to be a vandalism this morning, not sure. We're still going to investigate to find the actual cause of it. The pile was out here and it was tar paper and ceiling tile and other debris like that. There wasn't any gas or electric to it. So it's suspicious," said Burton.

Burton said it is unknown whether the fire will affect the how quickly the rest of the school will be demolished.