Carihi Secondary School was closed Friday and will be closed again on Monday and Tuesday after an overnight fire on November 21.
In a statement, School District 72 says the closure is so they can make plans for how to support students and continue learning in the days ahead.
“We are committed to keeping staff, students, families and the community informed with the latest information we have, but we are still gathering important information from the fire department, our operations team and health and safety staff that will guide our next steps,” says the statement. “Our priority is to get Carihi students back into a safe and supportive learning environment as soon as possible.”
Eyewitness accounts say the fire started around 11 pm on Thursday night and Campbell River Fire responded shortly afterwards. Firefighters from the Comox Valley and Oyster River were also called in to help.
It appears to have started in the cafeteria area, and spread up the inside of the gym wall.
The fire was out by this morning, but firefighters were on scene for most of the day checking to make sure there were no hot spots. Fire Chief Dan Verdun says the cause is currently unknown.
School District 72 thanked the Fire Department for containing the fire and for ensuring everybody’s safety.
— With files from Grant Warkentin
