Park fire called arson
Published 12:00 am Monday, September 13, 2004
At about 7 p.m. Saturday, Selma firefighters responded to a call in the River Side Park, to extinguish a burning two-story gazebo at the park.
Capt. Troy Anderson, of the SFD, said the fire was most likely arson and a police report was filed.
“It was just a wood structure,” Anderson said, noting there was no wiring or any other source of flame attached to it.
“There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so I don’t think lightning struck it,” he said.
Anderson said the fire was fully involved when his battalion arrived, and the structure had already collapsed.
At this time, Anderson said, there weren’t any suspects.
“You never know on something like that,” he said.
The gazebo is used regularly in Selma, mostly in the yearly Battle of Selma re-enactment, and belongs to the city of Selma.
Anderson said the fire took about an hour to work.
An investigation is ongoing.