Fire damages Mount Forest school
Classes at a Mount Forest school were cancelled Thursday after a early morning fire.
Crews were able to contain the flames to one section of St. Mary Catholic School, but the damage is significant and it’s not clear when students will be allowed to return.
“When I heard, I was – honestly, I was scared,” Grade 5 student Zoey Comeau said.
“I’m a little bit sad because I was hoping that I’d be able to present a presentation today and be able to do my work and see my friends.”
Flames broke out Thursday morning
Wellington North Deputy Fire Chief Marco Guidotti said emergency crews were called to the scene around 6:15 a.m. after someone went to the school to take out the recycling and spotted flames coming from the electrical room.
When firefighters arrived shortly after, flames were shooting through the roof of the Parkside Drive school.
Guidotti said after extinguishing the fire, crews remained at the school to make sure it didn’t start up again.
“We’re still dealing with hotspots, it’s kind of hard because there’s basically three types of ceiling that we’re trying to go through, there’s a new ceiling, old ceiling, then there’s the roof of the structure itself,” he explained Thursday morning.
Firefighters respond to St. Mary Catholic School in Mount Forest on Jan. 25, 2024. (Brandon Guitar/CTV Kitchener)
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but the fire department said it’s not considered suspicious.
No one was inside when the fire started and no injuries were reported.
Unclear when school will reopen
The flames were contained to the electrical room, but damage to the building is significant.
The fire department said it’s unclear when the building will be usable again.
“Once the fire investigation has been completed and then the school board comes and determines the structure of the building, it could be – I’d say a month or two, or longer,” Guidotti said.
In a statement, the Wellington Catholic District School Board say it’s: “developing a temporary accommodation plan to support the continuity of learning for students.”
The board said it will continue to provide updates to families when available.
Students will also be off Friday as it’s a previously scheduled P.D. day.
"It's kind of nerve wracking cause we don't know if we're going to be able to get back into the school,” Grade 8 student Lydia Comeau said.
Ultimately, the school and community members are thankful for one thing.
“[I’m] happy the kids weren’t there when it happened,” said Joseph Leblanc, who lives nearby.
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