News
Bleacher fire may force football games off campus
By CYNTHIA BULLION
Times News Staff
SOUTHAVEN — DeSoto County school officials have yet to determine a timeline for repairing some $60,000 in fire damage to bleachers at DeSoto Central High School, but they said Monday that some football games could be relocated as a result.
“Once we talk to structural engineers, we will get an estimate on the time required to repair the bleachers,” Ken Reid, the school district’s assistant superintendent of operations, said. “At this point we do not feel it will be safe to use the bleachers on the home side until the repairs are made. In a worst case scenario, we may have to play some of the early season football games off campus.”
The aluminum bleachers, as well as the exterior of school stadium’s press box, were damaged around 8 p.m. Friday during a fire that investigators believe was intentionally set.
“So far we haven’t come across any evidence to make us believe this was accidental,” Southaven Police Chief Tom Long said, noting that the fire is being considered the result of arson as items were accumulated beneath the bleachers and set fire.
Though extinguished approximately 15 minutes after firefighters arrived, the fire melted more than five rows of seats in a section near the 50-yard line, as well as some of the press box’s siding and portions of the aluminum seating and flooring.
“I was absolutely stunned that a fire could do that much damage to those aluminum bleachers,” Reid said after visiting the stadium Monday. “I expected a few seats to be burned. It appears the intensity of the flame may have melted some of the support system in the center section.”
Reid said photographs of the damage have been sent to the company that insures the school and that an adjuster is scheduled to meet with district officials today. Outdoor Aluminum, the company that installed the bleachers, will meet with a structural engineer to assess the structure’s integrity.
“We will do everything we can do as quickly as possible, but we will not be able to use those bleachers until we are certain they are 100 percent safe,” Reid said.
The school’s first football game at home is set for Sept. 5 against Byhalia.
Katherine Nelson, community relations coordinator for the district, said school officials are working to get repairs under way as soon as possible and avoid relocating games.
But, Nelson said school officials aren’t being laying blame on anyone, despite the fact Southaven police have charged two boys, ages 11 and 12, with CHINS - or “children in need of supervision” - and referred them to youth court in connection with the fire.
“Our whole system of justice is ‘innocent until proven guilty’,” Reid said. “We have to let the Southaven Police Department do their job. When there is a felony arson charge, we feel sure whoever did this will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Any blame would be simple conjecture.”
Cynthia Bullion can be reached at cbullion@desototimes.com or 429-NEWS, ext. 236.
“Once we talk to structural engineers, we will get an estimate on the time required to repair the bleachers,” Ken Reid, the school district’s assistant superintendent of operations, said. “At this point we do not feel it will be safe to use the bleachers on the home side until the repairs are made. In a worst case scenario, we may have to play some of the early season football games off campus.”
The aluminum bleachers, as well as the exterior of school stadium’s press box, were damaged around 8 p.m. Friday during a fire that investigators believe was intentionally set.
“So far we haven’t come across any evidence to make us believe this was accidental,” Southaven Police Chief Tom Long said, noting that the fire is being considered the result of arson as items were accumulated beneath the bleachers and set fire.
Though extinguished approximately 15 minutes after firefighters arrived, the fire melted more than five rows of seats in a section near the 50-yard line, as well as some of the press box’s siding and portions of the aluminum seating and flooring.
“I was absolutely stunned that a fire could do that much damage to those aluminum bleachers,” Reid said after visiting the stadium Monday. “I expected a few seats to be burned. It appears the intensity of the flame may have melted some of the support system in the center section.”
Reid said photographs of the damage have been sent to the company that insures the school and that an adjuster is scheduled to meet with district officials today. Outdoor Aluminum, the company that installed the bleachers, will meet with a structural engineer to assess the structure’s integrity.
“We will do everything we can do as quickly as possible, but we will not be able to use those bleachers until we are certain they are 100 percent safe,” Reid said.
The school’s first football game at home is set for Sept. 5 against Byhalia.
Katherine Nelson, community relations coordinator for the district, said school officials are working to get repairs under way as soon as possible and avoid relocating games.
But, Nelson said school officials aren’t being laying blame on anyone, despite the fact Southaven police have charged two boys, ages 11 and 12, with CHINS - or “children in need of supervision” - and referred them to youth court in connection with the fire.
“Our whole system of justice is ‘innocent until proven guilty’,” Reid said. “We have to let the Southaven Police Department do their job. When there is a felony arson charge, we feel sure whoever did this will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Any blame would be simple conjecture.”
Cynthia Bullion can be reached at cbullion@desototimes.com or 429-NEWS, ext. 236.
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