A Knoxville College constructing in Tennessee burned down on Monday, officials reported.
Founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America, Knoxville College sits on 58 acres and has 18 buildings. The institution lost its national accreditation in 1997 and have become East Tennessee’s only historically Black college or university (HBCU). While in-person classes haven’t been held on the campus since 2015, the school continues to supply some online courses.
“It’s a tragic day for Knoxville,” said Mayor Indya Kincannon on Monday night. She described the school as “a pillar of the upper education community for Black people in Knoxville and beyond.”
Here’s every part it is advisable know in regards to the incident.
What Happened at Knoxville College?
A large fire erupted around 8:30 p.m. ET on November 4 at Knoxville College. Fortunately, the constructing was vacant on the time, and nobody was injured.
The Knoxville Fire Department confirmed in a news release that the hearth occurred on the administration constructing, Elnathan Hall, which partially collapsed. The 126-year-old constructing was deemed a complete loss.
The shortage of a functional water system on the unused campus made it difficult for firefighters to access water in the course of the initial stages of the blaze, in accordance with Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks. Twelve hours after arriving on scene, crews were still working to extinguish hotspots.
What Caused the HBCU Constructing to Burn Down?
The Knoxville Fire Department’s investigation unit is working to find out the reason for the huge fire. By late morning on November 5, a city excavator was digging through the rubble. Once the hotspots are fully extinguished and investigators are capable of access the stays of the constructing, they’ll collect and analyze more evidence to assist determine the reason for the hearth, Wilbanks said.
“I can’t say that for 100% right this moment, but there may be a robust likelihood (that the hearth was man-made),” Wilbanks told Knox News. “Until I even have an investigator come back to me and say we all know that somebody began the hearth I can’t say that, but there may be a robust likelihood that’s the case based on what we all know now.”
Based on the Knoxville Fire Department’s Facebook page, there was a smaller fire on October 30 at Knoxville College on the seventh floor of the MLK Constructing. The hearth, which was contained to a small trash can, was quickly extinguished.
