The constructing was residence to the unique Juneteenth Museum for shut to twenty years and was run by Miss Opal Lee.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A one-story residence in Fort Worth – which as soon as served as the unique Juneteenth museum for shut to twenty years – burned in an overnight hearth, hearth officers instructed WFAA.
The Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) stated firefighters responded at roughly 1:15 a.m. Wednesday to a reported construction hearth in the 1100 block of Evans Avenue.
When crews received to the scene, they discovered the wooded construction absolutely concerned in flames, FWFD stated. Two buildings adjoining to the house have been additionally catching hearth due to wind. Firefighters cleared the buildings and started combating the fires in all three areas, which took near an hour to extinguish, in response to hearth officers.
One particular person was handled on the scene for smoke inhalation and there weren’t some other reported accidents.
The one-story, wooded residential residence that caught hearth was the unique Juneteenth museum of shut to twenty years, which was run by Miss Opal Lee.
The Fort Worth Fire Department shared images from the scene as firefighters fought the blaze:
The reason behind the hearth is below investigation, in response to FWFD.
The National Juneteenth Museum, which might be constructed in the identical space as Evans Avenue and Rosedale Street, is ready to open in the summer season of 2025.
Lee spent so lengthy attempting to safe Juneteenth as a nationwide vacation. That lastly occurred in 2021 and the 96-year-old Lee was by President Biden’s aspect as he declared Juneteenth a nationwide vacation.
Lee instructed WFAA Wednesday that she’s unhappy the constructing is now not there — a spot the place she made so many recollections.
“I feel like my past is getting away from me,” Lee stated. “There’s been some really good times on that corner. We had a computer school there at one time before we had the Juneteenth museum. We had exhibits to show all the young people who needed to learn about Juneteenth–they were crude but they were still exhibits.”
“I hate that it burned down. Young people would listen to those of us who were so much older and we could tell them about what we went through in our day and how the times were changing. But I’m delighted we got everything out that we’ll be using in the new museum.”
Lee instructed WFAA the constructing has principally been utilized by the homeless as a camp these days.
She stated she was extra frightened about them than the 4 partitions that have been torched.
“I wonder what on Earth they’re going to do — knowing that people don’t have a place,” Lee stated.
The good news: None of Lee’s displays or artifacts have been inside. They’re in a protected place for the brand new Juneteenth museum.
Lee stated the hearth is a horrible factor, but it surely reminds her of what is to come back.
“Understand that there’s something new coming — a new day. I want to see it in my lifetime,” Lee stated.
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