North Carolina Offers Reward for Tips on 9 School Bus Fires

May 27, 2009

Authorities haven’t ruled out arson in a fire that damaged or destroyed nine Gainesville city school buses in a parking lot.

Investigators say they have not been determined if the fire early last Friday was a result of arson or caused by an electrical problem.

The state fire marshal’s office is helping the Gainesville Fire and Gainesville Police departments in investigating the cause of the fire in the school system’s lot near Gainesville Middle School.

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says his office is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to a conviction in the case.

He says investigators are reviewing video surveillance footage from the fire scene.

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