Classroom at Seventh Ward Elementary Damaged by Fire
LIVINGSTON, La. – A temporary building at Seventh Ward Elementary housing a special needs classroom and school nursing station was damaged by a fire over the Labor Day weekend.
The blaze was reported to local fire officials shortly after midnight, Saturday, Aug. 31. The school's fire alarm sounded and approaching fire fighters witnessed smoke from behind the main campus building.
Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 4 and Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 5 responded to the incident. Fire fighters controlled the blaze within 30 minutes and the fire was fully extinguished within an hour, thereby restricting damage to just the one building.
Seventh Ward Elementary Principal Laura Dunlap said the damaged building contained the school's nursing station and a special needs classroom, which served five students. She said classroom space and a temporary station for the nurses have been created in the school's main building.
"We want to thank our local fire fighters for their quick response, and to the staff at Seventh Ward Elementary for making new accommodations for our students and nurses,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said. "We will be working with investigators, as well as our insurance representatives, to replace this campus facility."
The Louisiana Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the blaze and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect wanted in connection with the incident. Any inquiries or information about the fire incident should be directed to the State Fire Marshall’s hotline at 1-844-954-1221.
SeventhWardBOLO – the Louisiana Fire Marshall’s Office has released this security camera image to the public asking for identification and location of the person believed to be a suspect in the fire incident at Seventh Ward Elementary School.