Blaze engulfs vacant commercial building in Jackson; no injuries reported

By Aaron Lampley, Simeon Gates and Sophia Paffenroth | Originally published by Mississippi Today

An early morning blaze engulfed the old Midtown Center located on Mill Street in downtown Jackson Tuesday, causing extensive damage but no injuries, fire officials said..

The Jackson Fire Department was dispatched to 1030 Mill Street at about 5:30 a.m. Crews arrived to heavy smoke and flames.

Division Fire Chief of Investigations Charles Felton confirmed the building was vacant and there were no injuries.

“At this time, I do not have any information as to how long it’s been vacant. We do know it’s been vacant for some time. But the definite time frame we do not have,” Felton said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire broke out near a residential neighborhood and not far from the Midtown Head Start Center on East Fortification Street.

Luckily, the childcare facility was not in operation, said Nita Norphlet-Thompson, the executive director of the Mississippi Head Start Association. The building is under construction, according to Norphlet-Thompson.

“Currently, that center is under renovation and probably won’t be open until the 1st of the year,” Norphlet-Thompson told Mississippi Today.  

Capitol Police closed off nearby streets near the fire zone, as water from firetrucks slickened streets.

This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Source: Original Article