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Arson ruled out as cause of Fayette Daily News blaze By JOHN
MUNFORD Although the investigation is still ongoing, fire investigators have ruled out arson in the Thursday morning blaze that destroyed the offices of the Fayette Daily News in Fayetteville. The arson investigation unit of the state fire marshal's office searched the area Thursday and discovered no indicators of an accelerant, said Sgt. Bill Rieck of the Fayetteville Fire Department. Had the dogs "hit" on a particular area, it might have indicated the fire was set intentionally. Fire investigators also believe they have identified where the fire started in the building, but they have yet to determine what started the blaze, Rieck said, adding that the matter is still under investigation. "At this point, we've found no evidence to indicate there was any criminal intent involved here," Rieck said. No one was injured in the blaze, according to Rieck. Three nearby homes were evacuated for safety precautions, but firefighters were able to contain the fire to the newspaper building. The fire did set off a small explosion of a LP gas tank that powered a forklift used at the building, Rieck said. "There was an explosion from that tank," Rieck said. Fire investigators have not been able to determine yet what caused the blaze at the paper's Church Street location. The fire was reported at approximately 5:38 a.m. by someone at Carolyn Ford, which is adjacent to the Daily News building, Rieck said. Five fire engines responded to the blaze, including some from the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. The first fire crew on the scene noted a heavy fire load, Rieck said, adding that the building was unoccupied at the time of the blaze. Firefighters entered the building to battle the blaze but had to withdraw due to dangerous conditions and intense heat, Rieck said. Fayetteville's tower truck sprayed water on the roof of the building from its high vantage point to help contain the flames, he added. "Our crews did an excellent job of protecting the surrounding structures," Rieck said. A small portion of Ga. Highway 85 near the newspaper's office was shut down briefly so firefighters could connect to a water supply on the western side of the road, Rieck said. He called that maneuver standard procedure in an effort to get more water to the scene. "We just had to reach out a little bit to provide that water," Rieck added. Rieck said a newspaper official wanted the department to tell the media the company plans to continue publishing. Bound volumes of the newspaper for the past 50 years are available at the Fayette County Probate Court for those interested in looking for a particular issue of the paper. The probate court office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The court keeps the back issues because the Fayette Daily News is the county's legal organ in which legal notices are published. Charles Tillman, who operates the paper's press, said he left the building Wednesday night at 11 p.m. after the paper's Thursday edition was printed. He said great caution is taken to make sure all the electricity is shut off to the paper's press unit before the building closes at night. Tillman was disappointed about the fire because "we were just starting to get things done," he said. "Everybody was just starting to get happy again," Tillman said. No other representatives of the newspaper could be contacted by press time to determine the paper's upcoming publishing schedule.
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