Ag Museum Fire Ruled Accidental

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The fire that destroyed three buildings at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum started by accident.

That’s according to Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, who is also the state fire marshal.

Chaney said Thursday that investigators believe the Nov. 13 fire started because hay was stacked too close to wall-mounted light fixtures on the upper floor of a barn.

He says the barn was thoroughly inspected last year, and no code violations were found.

Chaney says inmates who work at the museum stacked hay in the barn but were unaware of the light fixtures. He says investigators found the fixtures emitted enough heat to ignite hay from the same load.

The fire caused more than $2.5 million in property damage.

No people were killed or seriously injured.