An accelerant—gasoline or charcoal lighter fluid—was used to set books, magazines, carpeting, and furniture on fire near the circulation desk. The school’s sprinkler system extinguished the flames before the fire department arrived. No injuries were reported.
“The good news is the sprinkler system worked as it was designed,” Grand Haven Area Public Schools Superintendent of Schools Rick Kent told the Chronicle. “The problem is once the system goes off it stays on until it is turned off. We had water damage on the floor, smoke damage, and some damage by the fire itself.”
A school official told American Libraries that the library will be closed until January 5 and estimated that damages could reach close to $100,000, double the $50,000 originally estimated.
Posted December 8, 2003.