Clay Street fire believed to be accidental

Published 6:44 pm Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Vicksburg authorities and Mississippi Fire Marshal’s investigators are continuing their investigation into a Sunday morning fire that damaged Bypass Church of Christ, 787 U.S. 61 North.

The fire was one of two investigated by authorities Sunday and Monday.

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Fire Chief Craig Danczyk said an alarm monitoring service sent out an alarm about the church fire about 6 a.m. Sunday and firefighters arrived to find flames showing. The fire was quickly contained to about 1 percent of the building. He said damage to the church was minor.

He said a man was questioned about the fire, but no charges have been filed.

“We have obtained video from a local business and we are in the process of getting video from other businesses. We’re going to see where we go with that,” Danczyk said.

Firefighters also responded to a weekend apartment fire on Cain Ridge Road that is believed to be electrical in nature, he said.

Danczyk said a short in a light fixture is believed to be the cause of an early morning fire that damaged a house at 1312 Clay St. Monday. He said the fire is believed to have started in a ceiling light fixture and spread to the second floor.

“The homeowner said there was one specific light he would keep on when no one was in the building, and that was the case the night of the fire,” he said, adding the area around the light seemed to have the most damage.

“Two of our investigators looked at it and that seemed to be their consensus,” he said.

Firefighters were notified about a fire with flames showing about 2:45 a.m. They had the blaze under control by about 5:30 a.m.

Danczyk believes the unoccupied building is a total loss.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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