A break-in at the Oxford school district’s maintenance garage over the weekend resulted in a fire that caused approximately $250,000 in damage.
Located to the west of Oxford Elementary and adjacent to the old football field, the garage was apparently broken into late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
Bruce Biebuyck, maintenance supervisor for Oxford Schools, said it appears some unknown person or persons used what he’s assumed was a pair of bolt-cutters to cut the chain which secured a side gate leading to the garage area.
The garage ? which houses all the equipment used to maintain the district’s buildings and grounds along with the district’s print shop for all official stationary, letterhead, envelopes, etc. ? is surrounded by a 10-foot high chain link fence.
Once inside the area, the person(s) smashed a door window and entered the garage.
According to Biebuyck, the burglar(s) placed a bunch of blueprints to various school buildings in nylon baseball equipment bags and arranged them in a pile, then ‘doused it with fuel and lit it.?
It appears a chair next to the pile was also involved in the blaze.
Fire Chief Jack LeRoy estimated the fire was set sometime between 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday.
Fortunately, the fire consumed all the oxygen in the building and suffocated itself, preventing further, more extensive damage, according to the chief. He said the fire burned so rapidly and ‘fiercely for a few minutes? that it was ‘not able to sustain itself.?
‘It basically choked itself out,? LeRoy said.
When a maintenance worker discovered what happened around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Biebuyck said the fire was ‘still smoldering.?
The entire interior of the garage and all of the equipment within is coated with a thick, black soot while an overwhelming smoke odor hangs in the air.
Insurance adjusters estimated between $100,000 and $150,000 in damage to the building and at least $100,000 or more in damaged contents, according to Biebuyck.
‘It’s mostly smoke damage? requiring ‘a lot of power-washing, a lot hand-cleaning,? he said.
Biebuyck said the garage will be closed for about six to eight weeks during the cleaning.
All the insulation in the garage ceiling will probably have to be removed and replaced because it’s filled with smoke odor. All the maintenance vehicles heavily coated with soot will have to be cleaned and possibly repainted.
A pair of lawn spreaders located near the source of fire had their plastic buckets melted from the heat. A nearby riding lawn mower also suffered heat and smoke damage.
Both the Oxford Village Police and Oakland County Sheriff’s Fire Investigation Unit are investigating the incident.
So far, there are no suspects and no leads.
Biebuyck noted a pair of bolt-cutters was stolen from the garage during a break-in on Saturday, May 6.