Fire in drop box damages Regina Public Library central branch

Someone returned more than just books at the central branch of the Regina Public Library Tuesday morning when it was set on fire.

Fire crews were called out after midnight on Tuesday when someone thought they saw flames on the front walkway.

Firefighters had to force their way into the building when they arrived to put out the fire in the after-hours drop box.

Monica Steffl was disappointed to find out how the fire started.

“They’ve got so many precious books and everything, as long as nothing is too badly damaged they’ll fix it, they’ll clean it up,” she said.

Michael Lonethunder was on his way to the library to study when he learned about the fire.

“That’s surprising that they have a fire here,” he said. “I do my reading and research here.”

The library said the damage was contained to the main lobby.

“We are disappointed this has occurred, and has affected our services to the public,” Library Board Chair Darryl Lucke said in a news release. “The safety of patrons, staff and the local community is our top concern, so it’s important we fully assess the situation before determining next steps.”

The branch was closed Tuesday morning, but it was expected to re-open later in the afternoon. A temporary drop off box was set up on Lorne Street on Tuesday.

Regina fire said fire is being treated as suspicious, but as of Tuesday the cause of the fire wasn’t known.