NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Niagara Falls City School District lost all of their indoor and outdoor maintenance equipment Tuesday night in a fire. The school district told 2 On Your Side that a former employee of the district allegedly turned himself in Tuesday night and confessed to starting the fire.
The individual was an employee of the district until Tuesday according to Niagara Falls City School District Superintendent Mark Laurrie. Laurrie says the individual was notified Tuesday that their position was being changed to a maintenance position.
Laurrie says the ex-employee allegedly confessed to buying a lighter and using gasoline in the garage to set the fire.
Laurrie made an announcement on the school district's official Facebook page saying their maintenance barn behind the Niagara Falls High School caught fire causing roughly $5 million worth of damage.
No one was injured in the fire; however, Laurrie says all of the contents in the barn are a total loss.
Some of the equipment destroyed includes the school district's snowplows, a salt truck and a vehicle for the food service coordinator. The school district says they will be teaming up with the City of Niagara Falls to clear the snow expected with the upcoming storm.