MOUNT FOREST – It is unknown when St. Mary Catholic School in Mount Forest will reopen following an electrical fire on Jan. 25.
Volunteer firefighters arrived at the school at about 6:15am to find flames coming from the roof, according to Wellington North/Minto deputy fire chief Callise Loos.
Responses came from stations in Wellington North, Harriston and Minto, with around 30 firefighters in total.
Nobody was injured in the fire, nor was anyone in the elementary school at the time of the fire, Loos told the Advertiser.
Firefighters remained on scene until 3pm on Thursday.
Fire officials do not consider the blaze to be suspicious, and Loos said the cause is believed to be “electrical in nature.”
“There was extensive smoke, fire and water damage,” Wellington Catholic District School Board education director Michael Glazier wrote in a Jan. 26 email to the Advertiser.
He was unable to provide a timeline for when repair and restoration work will be completed.
A damage estimate from fire officials is pegged at $4 million.
“The school board has been actively working to secure temporary accommodations for our students so we can resume in-person learning as soon as possible,” Glazier wrote, adding “preparations are underway.”
There are 200 students and 25 staff affected by the fire.
Parents and caretakers have been asked by the board to prepare arrangements for children this week, and the board anticipates sharing information sometime this week about a temporary accommodation plan.
Glazier explained staff in the meantime are arranging technology for online learning, with information about how that will work to come next week.
“It will take us a few days to prepare for this transition given the damage to resources and technology,” Glazier wrote.
He added the board is “grateful for the patience and understanding of our parent community as we respond to this issue and we are grateful for the support members in our community have shared with our school community.”
Education ministry spokesperson Ingrid Anderson did not provide details in a response to a question from the Advertiser seeking clarity on the province’s role in supporting the school board with reopening the school.
Emergency services at the scene of a fire at St. Mary Catholic School on Jan. 25. Submitted photo
