Flames break out at Palisade High School. It's the town's second suspicious fire in just two weeks.

"We haven't ruled out arson. That’s why it’s called a suspicious fire," Chief Richard Rupp, with Palisade’s fire department said.

Fire crews doused flames and smoke billowed into the morning sky.  Now the observatory at Palisade High School, just south of the main building, is a total loss.

"Right now we are in an investigation and trying to figure out what happened, the cause, and the origin of the fire," Rupp said.

Investigators have ruled out heating and electric problems.  This fire was potentially started by people.

Christy McGee, with School District 51, says, "We’re working with investigators and working with the Palisade Police Department.”

"We’re doing some interviews with people that may be able to give some information on the actual cause or what they saw or heard earlier this morning," Rupp said.

One Palisade resident, whose car was recently vandalized, is concerned. Just two weeks ago, she was the victim of a separate suspicious fire incident in Palisade.

"That fire is definitely a suspicious arson fire,” Rupp said. “It appears like there was some type of ignitable liquid used to ignite the fire."

Both fires started at about 4:30am and both were destructive.

But is there a serial arsonist in Palisade? ...Authorities say, no.    

"I haven't even thought of there being a connection between the two.” Rupp said.  “I’m going to say the first fire is definitely not connected with the high school. It just happens to be coincidental."

If you have any information about these fires please contact Palisade authorities.