ONANCOCK, Va. - There was a major fire at the Historic Onancock School community center this morning around 7 a.m., according to the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department.
(Onancock Vol. Fire Dept.)
Fire officials say when they arrived to the building, two patrons said they smelled smoke in the back of the building. Once inside, the firefighters said they saw thick smoke throughout the second floor.
They say they found a fire in the basement that destroyed a room, and also damaged a smaller part of the first floor in the south wing of the building.
They say there were no injuries. They also say there is no evidence of foul play, but there is also no clear cause for the fire. It took Parksley, Tasley, Onancock, Melfa, Painter, and Wachapreague units two and a half hours to find and extinguish the fire, and to make sure the fire did not spread further than first thought.
(Onancock Vol. Fire Dept.)
(Onancock Vol. Fire Dept.)
(Onancock Vol. Fire Dept.)
The Historic Onancock School is a 105-year-old building that was bought in 2007 to turn into a community center for Accomack County. The nonprofit, Historic Onancock School, says they bought the property to prevent the abandoned school building from being sold for private development, and say it is now a vibrant community hub.
The organization says there is an investigation happening to determine the cause of the fire. Organization officials say the Historic Onancock School is closed for now, but working to repair and rebuild.