Former Bethesda Home Dorm Burns to the Ground

[Ursus]

Posted earlier today in the Bethesda Home for Girls thread:

Hello everyone, I heard of this place as a teen in high school at Oak Grove.  We went there several times to snoop around hearing about these old horrible stories not ever really thinking they were true.  But in reading this site gives me goosebumps finding out that it was all real.  Well, a few days ago somebody set fire to the school and it has been burnt to the ground.  I thought all you ladies would be glad to know this knowing that it was such a horrible place.  Here is a link to a video of the building after it had burnt down.  I am so sorry you all had to go through what you did and maybe this will help with closure or something.

http://http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/section/VideoNetwork#/News/Fire%20Destroys%20former%20Bethesda%20Girls%20Home%20dorm/46203239001/46206319001/713946068001

We always heard of these wildy horrible stories and would go thinking it was haunted after hearing of some girls being killed many years ago.  And like I said, I don't think anyone really believed it to be true but it is so chilling to find out otherwise.  Once again I am so sorry to hear of all of these stories on here.

[Ursus]

WDAM.com
Fire destroys former home for troubled youth

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 11:54 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, December 16, 2010 4:24 PM EST




FORREST COUNTY, MS (WDAM) An early-morning fire gutted a three-story dormitory building in Forrest County once used to house troubled girls.
 
The facility once known as Bethesda Home for Girls was recently leased by Ezekiel house ministries, which operates a transition house on Bouie Street. Organizers were planning on opening the old Bethesda location in January under a new name - Reclamation Ranch.
 
The facility, which included three buildings on the grounds including the dorm, was to open as drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. The home was founded in the 1970s by evangelist Lester Roloff as a home for troubled and unwed girls.
 
It changed hands several times before closing in the late 1980s.
 
Officials with Ezekiel Ministries say they suspect arson since there was no power hooked up to the building.
 

Copyright 2010 WDAM.

[Ursus]

Hattiesburg American
Fire destroys Ezekiel House Ministries building

December 16, 2010

PETAL – A building at the former Bethesda Girls Home outside of Petal burned to the ground early today.

The building on Blue Lake Road was recently taken over by Ezekiel House Ministries of Hattiesburg.

The fire was reported to volunteer firefighters at 4:30 a.m. No injuries were reported.

John Hoffpauir, director of operations for Ezekiel House Ministries, said there was no electricity to the building, which is one of three on the property.

He said the nearby sanctuary was not damaged.

He said arson is suspected.

Check this site for details as they become available.


Copyright © 2010

[hurrikayne]

Reclamation Ranch is another familiar name, one Roloff Enterprises has used before, if I recall correctly.

[Ursus]

Hattiesburg American
Cause of fire under investigation

From staff reports • December 16, 2010


A building at the former Bethesda Girls Home that was to be part of the new Ezekiel House Ministries Reclamation Ranch outside of Petal burned to the ground early Thursday morning in a fire that currently under investigation by local, state and national investigators. Ezekiel House Ministries had hoped to use the old dormitory to house participants in their drug rehab program but the building was destroyed during the fire which spared two others buildings on the compound.
(Matt Bush/Hattiesburg American)

Firefighters won't know until next week the cause of an early morning blaze that destroyed a building on Blue Lake Road.

Forrest County fire investigator Chip Brown said firefighters were dispatched at 4:42 a.m. and arrived to a totally engulfed building.

The building was the former Bethesda Girls Home but the Rev. Al Kenmar had plans to turn it into a drug and rehabilitation facility and named it Reclamation Ranch.

Kenmar, director of Ezekiel House, said he'd gotten the keys to the three buildings last week and had started cleaning Monday. He said believes it was arson because there was no electricity at the building.

The building was not insured, Kenmar said.

The burned structure was set to be men's and women's housing.

Read more of this story in Friday's print and online editions.


Copyright © 2010

[Ursus]

Clarion Ledger
Fire destroys Forrest County building set for rehab

The Associated Press • December 17, 2010

PETAL — Authorities are investigating a fire that destroyed a building that was being prepared to open as a drug and rehabilitation center near Petal.

Despite the loss, the Rev. Al Kenmar said his plans for a rehabilitation program for men, women and teens with addictions didn't go up in smoke.

The building is one of several at the former Bethesda Girls Home.

Kenmar, founder and director of Ezekiel House, which operates solely on donations, told the Hattiesburg American that his plan was to turn it into a faith-based drug and rehabilitation facility named Reclamation Ranch.

Forrest County Fire Investigator Chip Brown said the unoccupied building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived early Thursday.


Copyright ©2010

[hurrikayne]

Interesting footage.

[Ursus]

Interesting footage.

It's a very large building! Didn't it once contain close to 80 dorm rooms, plus staff apartments?

[Ursus]

There are 20 pics in a photo gallery hosted by HattiesburgAmerican.com: Fire Destroys former Bethesda Girls Home dorm. Here's one that shows the sheer size of the place a lil better:



A building at the former Bethesda Girls Home that was to be part of the new Ezekiel House Ministries Reclamation Ranch outside of Petal burned to the ground early Thursday morning in a fire that is currently under investigation by local, state and national investigators.
credit: Matt Bush-Hattiesburg American

[hurrikayne]

I do not personally know, but I will ask those who do.

[seamus]

holy shit a big ass frame construction building like that musta gone up good.......maybe karma,no? :nods:
  either that or somebody tried to make a batch of "Nazi no-cook" in there little sisters E Z bake oven :roflmao:

[Ursus]

holy shit a big ass frame construction building like that musta gone up good.......maybe karma,no? :nods:
  either that or somebody tried to make a batch of "Nazi no-cook" in there little sisters E Z bake oven :roflmao:

Is it just *my* perception, or do programs appear to induce a "love for the flame?"

[seamus]

holy shit a big ass frame construction building like that musta gone up good.......maybe karma,no? :nods:
  either that or somebody tried to make a batch of "Nazi no-cook" in there little sisters E Z bake oven :roflmao:

Is it just *my* perception, or do programs appear to induce a "love for the flame?"

                            Nah , I always had that :cheers:

[Ursus]

holy shit a big ass frame construction building like that musta gone up good.......maybe karma,no? :nods:
  either that or somebody tried to make a batch of "Nazi no-cook" in there little sisters E Z bake oven :roflmao:

Is it just *my* perception, or do programs appear to induce a "love for the flame?"

Nah , I always had that :cheers:

Indeed, perhaps so!  

It does seem, however, that a higher than expected incidence of fire has "plagued" a number of programs. In addition to this here inferno of the former Bethesda Home for Girls, there have been fires at Hyde School, Hidden Lake Academy, Carolina Springs Academy, to name but a few...

[seamus]

i think that fire is the original "weapon of mass distruction" :nods: