A fire that ripped through the male dormitory at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) in Andros last week was intentionally set, Director of Fire Services Superintendent Walter Evans revealed yesterday.
Evans said firefighters concluded their investigation into the fire yesterday.
He said "several persons are assisting us with information".
Evans would not say what led firefighters to conclude the blaze was the result of arson.
The fire started in the roof before 7 p.m. on Thursday, he said.
Volunteers and officials extinguished the fire around 8:30 p.m., according to Superintendent Bruce Arnett, officer in charge on the island.
The blaze raged for over four hours.
Evans, who visited the island, said his team had to use garden hoses to extinguish the flames due to a lack of resources on the island.
The fire only impacted one of two dorms at the campus.
Agriculture Minister V. Alfred Gray led a small delegation to the island on Friday morning to assess the damage.
The government has spent over $23 million of BAMSI.
Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said the government was "saddened" by the event but will not be distracted.
He said, "We will rebuild".
North Andros and the Berry Islands MP Dr. Perry Gomez described the ordeal as unfortunate.
Since taking office, the government has touted BAMSI as one of its most important initiatives.
While it faced several delays and a protracted construction period, the first group of students started at the institute last year.
BAMSI also recently signed an agreement on technical and research cooperation with China's Ocean University.

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