Four Months Past Florence by Emily Page Wilson

Author:Emily Page Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Published: 2023-05-01T18:16:09+00:00

Breaking News from The Bloom

Shelter Staff Responsible for Lindley Library Fire

by Millie Willard, Staff Reporter

In the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Category Four storm responsible for 53 fatalities and billions of dollars in freshwater flooding damage, the people of Magnolia, SC, are left with numerous questions. How long until our main roads reopen, our waterways are free from debris, and our pipelines to gasoline and groceries accessible again? What we as a town should not be wondering, however, is if the state and its employees did their best to keep us safe.

While townspeople would hope the answer to that question would be a given, locals are left unsure after the events of Friday, September 21st. The 77 Magnolia residents and their pets who sought shelter in Lindley Library were forced into an immediate evacuation after the library’s west side caught on fire. Speculation has swirled over whether the blaze was a result of a lightning strike or an electrical fire caused by the record-breaking levels of rain.

Thanks to an anonymous source, The Bloom is the first to report the fire originated in the library’s small kitchen when 55-year-old part-time librarian and shelter staff member Eleanor Kearney plugged an electric kettle into an ungrounded outlet and then abandoned her post to take a smoke break outside.

The building’s aging infrastructure, poor ventilation, and a row of inoperable windows accelerated the rate at which the fire spread. Local law enforcement officers stationed at the shelter were able to relocate everyone inside to the nearby pharmacy, preventing any injuries or deaths. The total cost of personal belongings lost in the fire has yet to be calculated. While the fire seems to have been an accident, Sheriff Beatty’s office has yet to make any public comment on whether it plans to charge Ms. Kearney and to what extent.

This story is still developing. For further updates, be sure to check back frequently with The Bloom.

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