Fire Damages Children's Theater In Arlington
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Fire badly damaged the Creative Arts Theatre & School (CATS) in Arlington on Wednesday night. The flames actually destroyed the stage area where kids perform at the children's community theater. The blaze went to three alarms before firefighters could get it under control.
Someone passing by the building spotted smoke billowing out of the theater at around 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday night. Firefighters had difficulty reaching the flames, as the fire was burning in the back of the building. It is hard to see the extent of the damage from the outside of the theater, but the inside tells a different story. Firefighters said the building suffered extensive smoke and water damage, and the auditorium was destroyed.
Fire investigators have not yet determined what started the blaze.
CATS is a nonprofit theater school for kids, and the oldest operating youth theater in the nation. The organization had been in this particular building for 27 of its 34 years in operation. A new summer camp was set to begin this weekend, with 19 children already enrolled.
"It was heartbreaking to see the building burn," said producing director Merri Brewer. "We all have a lot of strong feelings -- beautiful memories. I went to CATS when I was a girl, and it's an important organization for Arlington."
The organization was in the process of acquiring a new building. The building which burned was actually up for sale. "It's hard to imagine what the impact for the organization is," Brewer said. "Of course, our intent is to continue the organization and continue providing Metroplex youth with a place to fulfill their performing arts dreams."
Theatre Arlington has offered to let CATS use its building temporarily. The children's school has a summer camp that begins on Saturday.
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