Officials from the state fire marshal’s office are investigating a fire at Campus Book Mart that caused a considerable loss to merchandise due to heat and smoke damage, Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said.
Firefighters were dispatched to the East Lee Boulevard location about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday and found the blaze mostly contained to the structure’s lower room at the rear of the facility.
Bell School House Volunteer Fire Department and Starkville firefighters were able to quickly subdue the flames, but considerable heat and smoke damage to all three levels of the building were reported, Rosenhan said.
Many of the store’s wares are expected to be reported as a total loss.
A state fire marshal’s representative came to the scene Wednesday to file a report since the company’s insurance claim was expected to be extensive, Rosenhan said. Investigators believe an electrical fire sparked the blaze, but a formal cause has not yet been identified.
No injuries were reported in the fire.
The facility did not incur significant structural damage, but Rosenhan said “the inside is a mess, that’s for sure.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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