Fire Destroys County Landmark

July 8, 2004

NORMA - It took crews from five different fire departments nearly six hours to bring an early Monday morning blaze under control at the old Norma School building on Norma Road here.

Despite the best efforts of the firefighters, which responded from across Scott County, the historic building was unable to be saved.

Firefighters from East 63 Volunteer Fire Department in Straight Fork were the first to be dispatched to the blaze, with the first units arriving on the scene at around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. Units from the Huntsville Fire Department arrived a short time later. The two departments were eventually joined by crews from South Scott County, Paint Rock and Mid-County.

Firefighters remained on the scene through the late morning hours on Monday, working to extinguish the blaze.

Deputies from the Scott County Sheriff's Department remained on the scene throughout the day on Monday, advising motorists travelling Norma Road to pass by the structure "at their own risk" as the west wall of the building leaned toward the road, threatening to collapse. At the Independent Herald's press deadline on Tuesday evening, crews from East 63 Volunteer Fire Department were back on the scene, attempting to cool the still-smoldering shell of the building so that demolition crews on the scene could safely tear down the walls.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.

news@ihoneida.com

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