NATCHEZ — Fire access to the Roth Hill casino site presents several burning questions that are not easily extinguished.

Magnolia Bluffs Casino’s architect Ed A. Vance said at the Natchez preservation and planning commission meetings this week that the Natchez Fire Department has requested a secondary fire access road to the Premier Gaming Group casino. Vance said an easement was in place allowing right-of-way for the road to come across the private property adjacent to the Roth Hill city property.

“We are providing (secondary access) upon the recommendation of the civil engineer based on conversations with the fire department,” Vance said at Wednesday’s preservation meeting. “Whether or not he has reached that decision, I don’t know yet.”

Natchez City Engineer David Gardner said Friday he has not had a conversation with Vance or Natchez Fire Chief Oliver Stewart about requiring secondary fire access. He said he has also not received that request from the fire department verbally or on paper.

“The lone fire access has already been approved by the fire department, and the casino approvals have been based on the site having one access road,” he said. “Until the aldermen, the gaming commission or the state changes something, it’s not even an issue on the table for me.”

Natchez City Planner Bob Nix said according to the International Fire Code adopted by the city, the casino will be neither large enough in square footage or height for two-way access to be required.

Nix said the fire marshal can require a secondary road based on conditions including potential traffic congestion, terrain, weather or potential magnitude of an incident. He said an appendix to the code, which the city has not adopted, recommends two-way access.

Gardner said he has previously done some preliminary cost assessment for secondary access, and he said he also does not believe a right-of-way for the private property is currently in place.

“If something has changed, it’s going to drastically change what’s going on down there,” he said. “The city would have to buy a great deal of property and assuming you have the money and the landowners want to give you a right-of-way, someone is going to have to come up with millions.”