ARLINGTON -- As fire investigators combed through the damage at Creative Arts Theatre and School after a three-alarm blaze Wednesday night, school leaders scrambled Thursday to make arrangements for upcoming summer classes.
Producing Director Merri Brewer said that the 33-year-old nonprofit school was close to renting out space for a few weeks. She said the details could be finalized before the end of the day. The next round of summer classes starts Saturday."We should be in good shape there," she said.Lt. Kevin Seeton, spokesman for the Arlington Fire Department, said the investigation into the cause of the fire could take "a day or two."Firefighters worked for hours to extinguish the fire at the multistory former church building at 1100 W. Randol Mill Road. At one point, firefighters were ordered to evacuate the structure so that two ladder trucks could be used to attack the fire from above.The school was closed for July Fourth, and nobody was inside when the fire began, Battalion 1 Chief Brian Cudaback said. A passerby noticed smoke coming from the building at about 9 p.m. and called 911, he said.Upon arrival, firefighters saw smoke billowing out of several places and made entry into the front of the building, Cudaback said. They repositioned after determining that the fire was in the rear, but the thick smoke made it difficult to access an area where the flames had reached the bottom of the roof.The backstage area of the auditorium was heavily damaged in the blaze.CATS leaders have been trying to sell the nearly 50-year-old building that has housed the iconic Arlington nonprofit since 1983 so they could move to a less costly site. They said Wednesday night that before the fire they had a prospective buyer lined up and a possible closing date about 10 days away.Word of the fire spread quickly on social media, where the overwhelming reaction was one of sadness."It's been about 13 years since I was involved in C.A.T.S. but hearing about the fire hit so hard," read a Facebook post by Stephanie Carroll of Mesquite. "I am a theatre major and I owe it to my experiences at C.A.T.S. I know that this place will move on and rebuild from the ashes like a phoenix."In another post, Lubbock resident Jenn Daniel recalled growing up in Arlington and seeing "many of the great shows at CATS ... such good memories.""So sorry this had to happen," she wrote. "Hope you're able to recover from it quickly!"On Twitter, Scott Hoying, a CATS alumnus who is now a member of the popular a cappella group Pentatonix, tweeted: "So incredibly sad. That theatre brought joy to so many kids and families. :( I pray it can be rebuilt."Although CATS was incorporated in 1977, its founders considered 1979 to be its first year because that's when they began offering programs full time.When the CATS board moved to put the building on the market early this year, Brewer and Executive Director Heather Simmons cited upkeep costs that threatened to sink the school, which teaches children about acting, singing and stage production.The pair took the helm of CATS in 2010 and led an effort to spruce up the interior and expand the auditorium. Auditions were opened up to the community rather than being restricted to enrolled students.Last year, a crisis struck when five of the building's seven air-conditioning units went out amid the record-breaking summer. One required immediate replacement.The drought also ruptured water pipes, but the damage wasn't detected until an $800 water bill showed up.The Tarrant Appraisal District values the land and building at $1,109,102. On CATS' most recent IRS Form 990, the organization listed the total value at $850,000; accumulated depreciation may explain the difference.In 2010, CATS listed revenue of $357,688 and expenses of $379,464, for a difference of $21,776. The gap widened to $26,460 in 2011, when revenue was $300,399 and expenses were $326,859, the filings show.To prepare for a move, CATS held a fundraising event in late April, with alumni joining current students for a look back at favorite shows and songs.Staff writer Darren Barbee contributed to this report, which includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.Patrick M. Walker, 817-390-7423Twitter: @patrickmwalker1