FAYETTEVILLE — Library officials spent the day Monday assessing the damage from a small fire that started on the roof.
Firefighters were called about 8:41 p.m. Sunday to the Fayetteville Public Library after custodial staff smelled smoke. Firefighters initially could not see flames but could tell a fire was smoldering somewhere, said Battalion Chief Braden Flood.
The fire was on the roof and within a wall on the South School Avenue side of the building, Flood said. That part of the roof is a “green roof” covered with grass and vegetation, and the grass also runs down the wall, he said.
Firefighters had to cut into the structure through layers of insulation and rubber to extinguish the fire smoldering within, Flood said. Firefighters remained on the scene until about 11:30 p.m., he said.
“We vented it pretty good last night and got it all out before we left, but there’s always remnants whenever you have that go on,” Flood said Monday. “Smoke just coats everything.”
The library closed Monday as a safety precaution. Smoke infiltrated the air-conditioning system in the expansion part of the building. The administrative offices next to the yoga studio smelled heavily of smoke Monday afternoon.
David Johnson, the library’s executive director, said he was unsure when the library may reopen. Furniture, office equipment and decorations such as curtains will need to be cleaned. A protective fire wall that separates the expansion from the original portion of the library where most of the book collections reside came down as it was supposed to, limiting the reach of the smoke, he said.
Fortunately, the fire wasn’t enough to trigger the sprinkler system, which would have soaked everything inside, Johnson said.
“There’s no water damage,” he said. “It was all smoke, but the smoke is pretty awful.”
It appeared an ember from a volunteer beekeeper’s smudge pot may have blown in strong winds, Johnson said. The library’s insurance policy will cover the damage, he said. The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.
Local company Surfco Restoration and Construction was onsite Monday abating the smell and cleaning the residue.
Johnson didn’t yet have an estimate on the cost of damages Monday.
Certain library services, such as curbside dropoff and online services, will remain active, Johnson said. He likened the situation to the early days of the covid-19 pandemic when the building was closed to patrons but some services continued.
Library employees will receive inclement weather pay during the closure, Johnson said. Administrators will either work in a different part of the building or from home, he said.
The library’s construction company, Crossland, also was contacted to see about repairing the structure, Johnson said.
The bees who reside on the rooftop garden appeared flummoxed by the situation but otherwise stayed within their hive. Johnson said the volunteer beekeeper plans to use an electrical smudge pot in the future to calm the bees.
A library board meeting that was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday was postponed to a later date.
Sam Palmer (from right), director of facilities and sustainability at Fayetteville Public Library, speaks Monday, April 15, 2024, with David Johnson, library director; and Scotty Raines, maintenance lead at the library; as bees buzz in and out of bee hives after a fire Sunday night damaged the library building necessitating its closure Monday. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery..(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)Andy Shupe
A fire damage part of the roof at the Fayetteville Public Library. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE)