When students arrived at Bethlehem Elementary School on Monday, they were greeted with the acrid smell of smoke in the air.
Around 1:30 a.m. Monday, someone who was driving by the school on NC 127 saw a fire on school grounds, said Mark Earle, deputy fire marshal for Alexander County Emergency Services. The caller drove to a nearby convenience store and called the fire department.
Chad Maynor, principal at Bethlehem Elementary, was also contacted, and arrived at the school at about 2:30 a.m. He arrived to see the playground equipment — made of wood and metal — still on fire.
“I’m very said and disappointed,” Maynor said. “I hope to be able to find who’s responsible for this. I’m sad for the kids.”
The playground area was roped off in yellow caution tape late Monday. The equipment includes the wooden playground equipment that had a bridge, slides, monkey bars and a circular wooden platform in the middle to stand on. The equipment was on a base of rubber mulch, Maynor said. All of that is now charred and destroyed, as well.
Also roped off are three rubber tire swings and a few ropes students can climb on. Maynor said maintenance employees are getting equipment to stake off the charred area. Students will still be able to use the tire swings. There are also a basketball court and foursquare courts and a field students can still play in.
Maynor said the equipment should be covered by insurance, however the school system will have to pay its $5,000 deductible first.
“This will certainly impact us in these tight economic times,” he said.
Maynor said they were lucky.
“We’re fortunate it didn’t spread to the mobile unit or the after-school unit,” he said, gesturing to two mobile buildings that are within about 15 yards of the closest part of the burned area of the playground.
Earle said it is too early in the investigation to determine what caused the fire. However, some rags were discovered in the mulch near the back of the charred equipment.
“It’s thought that some kids may have been back there, playing, but it’s still under investigation,” he said.
Earle said he cannot rule out whether the fire was intentional or accidental.
“It is a suspicious fire,” he said.
Maynor said a letter was sent home to all parents Monday afternoon.
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