[NFBWV-Talk] Report on Today's Media Briefing Concerning WVSDB Fire from WV MetroNews

[Ed McDonald]

Administration Building fire in early stages of state-federal investigation
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By Jeff Jenkins<https://wvmetronews.com/author/jjenkins/>
February 28, 2022 - 12:32 pm
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All that's left of the historic Administration Building are the brick walls. (Photo/WVDE)
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The building was constructed in the 1840s. (Photo/WVDE)
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Investigators said the damage was extensive. (Photo/WVDE)
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There's not yet a money figure on the loss. (Photo/WVDE)
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ROMNEY, W.Va. - State and federal investigators say they are in the early stages of the investigation in hopes of finding out what caused the fire that destroyed the historic Administration Building<https://wvmetronews.com/2022/02/26/fire-at-schools-for-deaf-and-blind/> at the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Romney.

Investigators said it's currently too early to know what started the massive fire.
[cid:image005.jpg at 01D82CBB.57EE2140]Officials held a media briefing Monday including left to right, Michael Talbert, ATF Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, state School Superintendent Clayton Burch, lead investigator-Deputy State Fire Marshal Jason Baltic and a signer.

At a Monday morning media briefing on the lawn in front of the building. lead investigator, Deputy State Fire Marshal Jason Baltic said investigators are developing information.

"We start talking talking to the community, canvassing the area, talk to fire departments and local law enforcement," Baltic said.

There are six investigators with the state Fire Marshal's Office on the scene.

The state is getting significant assistance from the National Emergency Response Team of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT). ATF Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Talbert said more than two dozen team members have arrived in Romney.

"It (the team) is comprised of special agents from around the country who have very specialized skills from fire investigation to explosives investigation. We also bring electrical engineers, structural engineers, chemists, all on scene here within 24 hours to help assist our state and local partners," Talbert said.

Baltic said he welcomes the help from ATF.

"We have the resources in West Virginia but they would have been very taxed having to do an investigation like this but we have an abundant of resources now," Baltic said.
[cid:image006.jpg at 01D82CBB.57EE2140]Clayton Burch

State School Superintendent Clayton Burch said there's not yet a estimate on how much the building, built in the 1840s, was worth. He said the greatest loss came when school artifacts were destroyed.

"We had just been moving forward to look at the possibility of that becoming a museum for the school. It's quite a shame the number of artifacts we lost," Burch said during a Monday appearance on MetroNews "Talkline."

Burch said the good news is that a lot of school's historical records had been previously scanned. He said student records and the actual administrative office of the school had been moved to another building on campus in recent months.

The 74 students began a remote learning schedule Monday. Burch said Gov. Jim Justice's call to Frontier Communications to make restoration of phone and internet service to the campus a priority worked. Internet servers destroyed in the fire were expected to be back on line by Monday afternoon.

Burch said they hoped to have students back on campus in time for classes next Monday. They were transported home last Friday for the weekend and weren't there when the fire occurred.

Burch praised the individual fire departments and others who helped battle the blaze during Monday's media briefing.


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