At the Mulberry Grove Board of Education Monday meeting, Superintendent Brad Turner reported recovery progress from the April 7 fire.
The cause of the fire is suspected to be electrical. The Ag department had two large plastic fish tanks in the former finishing room of the Industrial Arts Shop and the tanks and a sheet of rubber caught fire. Mulberry Grove Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire which was mostly confined to the small room. However, smoke damage is extensive.
Smoke damaged the Industrial Arts classroom and shop, the Ag classroom and shop, the boy’s locker room, stage gym, gym lobby, music room, computer lab, science lab, and restrooms. Clean-up is in progress. The gym lobby is finished and the gym is scheduled to be cleaned in time for prom May 2. The computer and science labs and restrooms clean-up are next on the schedule. The Ag and Industrial Arts shops will not be usable for the remainder of the year. Walls, ceilings, floors, and everything in the rooms is being thoroughly cleaned and made usable.
Turner and Principal Caleb Thompson thanked the students, teachers, firefighters, community, Baptist Church, parents, and PTO for the successful and safe evacuation. There were no injuries due to the fire.
