Fire, smoke damage Meridian's Frank Cochran Center

Dec. 4--A fire Wednesday morning at the Frank Cochran Center caused smoke and fire damage.

No injuries were reported and the fire, which started in the kitchen, appears to be accidental, according to the Meridian Fire Chief Jason Collier.

"Obviously I am going to get down in there and tear it apart and get to the very bottom of the fire to confirm it," Collier said said.

Collier said the fire was put out in 10 to 15 minutes after firefighters arrived.

The fire department will investigate the fire and if a criminal act was committed, local law enforcement will get involved, Collier said.

The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Collier said he isn't sure if the building is a total loss or what will happen next, since an insurance company will have to asset the damage.

An eighth of the building had smoke damage, while the rest of the building had heat and smoke damage, Collier said.

Collier said when the heat in the building began to rise, it melted the north side of the building and twisted the metal beams inside. The fire was reported around 10:45 a.m. Smoke was still rising from the building around 11:30 a.m. Several city officials, including Mayor Percy Bland and Chief Administrative Officer Richie McAlister were on the scene.

"The multi-use facility in our beloved Highland Park has been the home of many beautiful memories for Meridianites," Bland said. "Our city prepares for these types of accidents and we will begin the rebuilding process as quickly as possible."

The Meridian Police Department responded for crowd control.

Please check back for updates.

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