TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Classes at the Cherokee Nation's Early Childhood and Head Start campuses are canceled this week after a fire broke out on Friday. It's now left some parents scrambling to find childcare.
Cherokee Nation staff say the fire engulfed administrative offices and a conference room. Luckily, firefighters could stop it before it spread to any classrooms.
Some call it a landmark, and others drive by it every day. The Cherokee Nation's Early Childhood and Head Start unit's administrative offices are burned to a crisp.
Hayden Nottingham's lived in Tahlequah his whole life and can't believe it.
"There have been so many kids that have gone there," Nottingham said. "There's no telling how devastating that must be for the families."
2 News called Tahlequah's Fire Chief, Casey Baker. He says investigators ruled out anything suspicious when the fire started around 10:30 Friday evening. He believes it to be accidental.
He says no one was inside at the time.
Now - Cherokee Nation staff wait for insurance adjusters to get to the property. They've already hired contractors to tear down the admin buildings, which are -luckily -separate from the classroom buildings. They say they hope to have the demolition finished by the end of the week and have students back by the following Monday.
"It always seemed like a good place to me. It's just wild it would burn like that," Nottingham said.
Cherokee Nation staff say before they tear down the administration buildings, they will go inside and see what they can salvage.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
