ST JOHN’S, Antigua : In a case of suspected attempted arson, the quick thinking of security personnel and the response of firefighters averted the spread of a fire at Ottos Comprehensive School.
A probe is now under way to determine who started the fire in a classroom where textbooks were stored.
Police said a security officer who was on duty at Mary E Pigott Primary School saw what appeared to be flames coming from the southern side of the building, late Wednesday.
“We were on duty patrolling by the book room and when we made a check, I saw something like car lights spotting on the building. We went down right by the back of the fence and the place was burning,” the guard told OBSERVER Media.
The security officer summoned the fire service that responded quickly and the fire was extinguished.
Initial evidence suggests that the person or persons, who set the room alight, may have used a chair to scale the fence, then toss the accelerant and light the blaze. The flame charred a part of a window.
The evidence found at the scene will help investigators determine the cause of the fire and the point of origin.
“There is no light in the area and the fire could have been serious if the persons got a chance to set a bigger fire; they could have lit it from inside,” the guard added.
