A Sunday fire damaged a portion of East Mississippi Community College’s Humanities and Fine Arts Building in Mayhew and has administrators searching for alternate finals week testing locations.
Volunteer firefighters from both Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties responded to the campus after a fire alarm was activated about 10 a.m. They extinguished the fire by about 11 a.m.
No injuries were reported from the incident.
The fire was isolated to an interior office, EMCC Vice President for Administration Paul Miller said, which was completely consumed by the blaze. It is believed an electrical outlet sparked the fire, he said.
An adjacent work room had significant smoke and water damage, he said, and will also need to be completely repaired.
Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said the fire produced considerable smoke, which required time to fully ventilate from the facility. Miller said the smoke-affected areas must be thoroughly cleaned and ventilated before classes can resume.
“Faculty and the affected students are contacted through email and the Learning Management System to let them know how to prepare for the rest of the week, which is final exam week,” Miller said. “Alternate locations are being secured across campus for testing as necessary.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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