Authorities are looking for a person of interest after a suspicious fire Tuesday damaged a DeKalb County school.
Surveillance video at St. Martin's Episcopal School allowed police to capture a photo of someone who broke into the school before the fire, a fire spokesman told Channel 2 Action News.
Firefighters responded to the blaze about 6:30 a.m., DeKalb fire battalion chief DeJuan Gilchrist said.
“At this time, we think it’s suspicious based on the amount of fire that we had,” Gilchrist said. “And the windows (were) busted out.”
Summer school classes are in session, but students were out for the 4th of July holiday.
There have been no reports of injuries.
The fire damaged about 1,000 sq. ft. near the school’s entrance and hurt a few animals, Gilchrist said.
Firefighters first got the main fire under control then stopped work to avoid contaminating the scene.
Gilchrist said if there were sprinklers in the building they didn’t activate.
Crews also cut a hole in the roof to make sure the blaze didn’t extend to the attic, fire officials said.
Elizabeth Beckwith, a science lab teacher at the school, said she got a call about the fire and raced over to make sure the school’s about 13 reptiles and other animals were safe.
“They’re my babies,” she said.
Most of them are alive, Beckwith said.
Arson investigators will make a final determination on the blaze, Gilchrist said.
No other details were released.
—Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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