Authorities say 3 juveniles set fire to school barn

News9.com

CASHION, Okla. -- Cashion Fire fighters said three juveniles are responsible for setting fire to an unused barn on Cashion school grounds Friday night.

The fire started around 9 p.m. in the old agricultural barn, which has been used in the past to house animals.

Authorities said three kids were playing with a lighter when they set the barn on fire.

"It's just pretty sad. You do the public education every year. You beg and plead not to play with matches and lighters and you get an incident like this. It makes you feel like you're not getting your job done," said Chief Danny Clark of the Cashion Fire Department.

The barn was very close to a bus barn and other buildings, so firefighters took precautions to protect the other buildings.

"We put a water curtain up to protect any of the exposure. We had them all protected," said Clark.

One witness said he thought he heard kids shooting fireworks in the building, but the fire chief said the bangs were likely objects in the building exploding from the heat.

Officials know who started the fire. The structure was not occupied at the time of the fire, authorities said.