A press box at a high school stadium in Texas was damaged in a fire Thursday afternoon.
A citizen driving past Dan R. Hooks Stadium — adjacent to West Orange-Stark High School — noticed the fire at about 4 p.m. Thursday and called in the emergency, TheRecordLive.com reported.
The West Orange Volunteer Fire Department responded to the stadium with about 10 firefighters. The Bridge City Fire Department also responded with mutual aid at the scene. Crews extinguished the fire and no one was injured.
The front of the press box was badly blackened by the fire.
Fire officials told TheRecordLive that the cause of the fire is under investigation. West Orange fire chief David Roberts and assistant chief Simmie Gibson are working with the fire marshal to determine the exact origin of the fire.
Spokesperson Dawn Martin for the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District said school officials were thankful for the quick response by the fire department.
"We would like to express our gratitude to the first responders who promptly arrived at the scene and successfully contained the fire, minimizing potential damage," Martin said in a news release Thursday. "Thankfully, we can confirm that no injuries were reported as a result of the fire. The safety and well-being of our workers and staff are of utmost importance, and we are relieved that no one was injured."
The construction of the press box at Dan R. Hooks Stadium will continue as planned, according to the news release. Martin said the district is committed to completing the project, and the fire will not deter them from that objective.
