Campbell River’s Carihi Secondary will remain closed at least through Monday after a fire caused significant damage centred on one wing of the school.
The Campbell River Fire Department was called to the Dogwood Street school about 11 p.m. Thursday. The building was empty at the time.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Fire crews were still at the scene on Friday afternoon.
“Due to the complex nature of this fire, [crews] will continue monitoring the structure throughout the day,” the City of Campbell River said in a statement. “The city asks the public to stay away from the area.”
Fire Chief Dan Verdun said the Oyster River and Courtenay fire departments provided mutual aid and helped keep the fire to the west side of the school
“We are working to assess the building and thank all Campbell River residents, particularly the students and staff at Carihi, for their patience,” he said.
Carihi is one of two secondary schools in the Campbell River School District and is home to 922 students in Grades 9-12.
School district spokesperson Jennifer Patrick said officials are waiting to hear the full extent of the damage. “That information is, obviously, going to guide our recovery efforts,” she said.
Patrick said the district is “extremely grateful” for the efforts by the three fire departments in containing the fire.
“The school has a deep history within our community, and many people have long-standing connections with the school,” she said. “So we’ve put in place counselling and other support services for Carihi staff and students, as well as other school district staff who may be impacted.”
Patrick said the decision to extend the school closure into Monday was made “to provide staff and students time to process the event, and also to allow school and district leadership time to plan for alternate arrangements.”
Thursday’s school fire was not the first at the site. It was once the location of Campbell River Elementary/Junior High/Senior High, which was destroyed by fire in 1976.
The name Carihi is a shortened form of Campbell River High School, and became the official name because students often referred to it that way.
