EXIRA, Iowa (AP) - A nearly century-old elementary school building in the western Iowa town of Exira went up in flames Sunday as part of a school district’s efforts to save money, a planned event that compelled residents and former students to watch.
Firefighters from around the region gathered to participate in the controlled burn, which had been in the books for months and kept getting delayed because of poor weather. Sunday’s mild winds allowed the burn to take place.
“I have mixed emotions,” said Jackie Pross, 67, a former student who watched from across the street. “I hate to see it burned down, but I realize it has to come down. They can’t save it.”
The Exira Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District said the controlled burn will save them up to $60,000 in demolition costs and offer critical training. The building closed in 2011 after it became unstable, and elementary students now attend school in nearby Elk Horn as part of a sharing agreement.
Sunday’s event piqued the interest of residents, some of whom lined up across the street in lawn chairs and blankets like it was a parade route.
Tony Young, 37, walked down the street from his home. He and his three children, some of them former students, brought lawn chairs.
“It’s old. It’s got to go. It’s an eyesore,” he said.
The burn started slow as firefighters set fire to hundreds of wooden pallets strategically placed inside the building. There were audible gasps from people as the fire intensified and smoke billowed from the top windows.
Most of the large brick building’s interior collapsed to the ground within two hours.
“I was surprised at how hot it was,” said Shelli Nelson, 46, who said she could feel the heat on her face from across the street. She taught at the school for 20 years and her children attended classes there.
“I didn’t anticipate seeing the flames like that. I figured it’d just be like a brick oven and just slowly melt everything inside. So this is … wow … is all I can say,” she said.
For many years, the building - nestled near the center of Exira, about 60 miles west of Des Moines - was the main school.
Judy Bintner, whose husband is the town’s fire chief, also considered the burning bittersweet.
“It’s hard to see it go,” said the 57-year-old, whose children also attended the school. “But watching it deteriorate over the years would be worse.”
Some firefighters planned to stay near the building for several more hours Sunday. The structure’s main exterior walls were expected to remain standing until a demolition team comes in later this month.
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