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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesOFFICIALS STILL INVESTIGATING CAHS FIRE

OFFICIALS STILL INVESTIGATING CAHS FIRE

The Virgin Islands Fire Services' investigation into Tuesday's fire at the Charlotte Amalie High School continues, with no conclusions other than that the fire appears to have been deliberately set.
One fire official said he expects the probe to be completed by week's end.
A wooden structure that housed three classrooms and storage space for football equipment was destroyed, along with its contents. The tackle football equipment, much of it brand new, was valued at $70,000.
Fire Marshal Glenn "Milo" Francis said the investigation so far has revealed the most extensive damage in the area of the suspected origin, just inside a doorway. That door evidently had been missing a portion of its locking mechanism for some time, leaving an opening large enough for something to be pushed through.
Francis said a physical education instructor reportedly found a partially burned piece of paper inside on a previous occasion, which suggests a possible earlier attempt at arson. As yet, no incendiary device or substance has been identified in connection with the blaze.
Two persons were questioned by police in connection with the fire,
one of them a 16-year-old student at CAHS, the other a 20-year-old man. Both were released after questioning. Law enforcement sources said police have "nothing concrete to go on, so the release of the two was in order."
Anyone with information on the fire should contact the V.I. Fire Service at 774-7610 or the Police Department at 774-4050.

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