REXBURG, Idaho — The oldest building at Ricks College, soon to be Brigham Young University-Idaho, was destroyed by fire Wednesday as it was being demolished.
The Jacob Spori building, built in 1903, was being demolished by a bulldozer early Wednesday, school spokesman Don Sparkhawk said.
A steel cable accidentally sparked the fire just after 3 a.m., Sparhawk said. School officials allowed the blaze to finish the job the demolition crew had begun.
The 28,000-square-foot building held sentimental value for the school's alumni and current students but was suffering from serious decay, Sparkhawk said.
Officials of the LDS Church-owned school plan to build a new Spori building to once again house the school's communications and arts departments.
In June, the church announced plans to expand Ricks College to a four-year institution and rename it Brigham Young University-Idaho.