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UPDATE: Meath Park School fire ruled accidental, students to be bused elsewhere

Oct 21, 2016 | 11:58 AM

UPDATE: Robert Bratvold, director of education with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division said investigators concluded the blaze originated as an “accidental electrical fire” on the stove in the school canteen.

Bratvold said there will be no classes for students until Wednesday, when Meath Park students will be bussed to Prince Albert. Kindergarten to Grade 4 students will be attending Spruce Home School, and students in Grades 5 to 12 will be going to Carlton High School.

Although Bratvold confirmed the school suffered extensive smoke and water damage throughout, he is hoping students will be able to attend regular classes in Meath Park as soon as Nov. 14 after the week-long break which runs Nov. 7 to 11. The gym will likely not be restorable, Bratvold said, but added the fire damage was contained to “a fairly local area” within the school.

Bratvold said he was proud of the response from staff, students and the emergency crews who responded.

 

 

 

After a fire resulted in an evacuation at Meath Park School yesterday, Fire Chief Gary Gobeil said the building will require significant structural repairs before it can be re-opened.

“There’s a lot of water damage along the floors, and some smoke throughout the whole thing,” Gobeil said. He estimated most of the building would be salvageable, “except for the gym and the canteen and the bathroom here at the back end.”

The fire broke out yesterday morning shortly after 10:30 a.m., while the students were out on break. Principal Tom Hazzard told paNOW the school was entirely evacuated within three minutes of the initial alarm, and all 270 kindergarten to Grade 12 students were transported home by bus.

Hazzard credited the quick evacuation to regular fire drills and good emergency planning.

Gobeil and other members of the Meath Park Fired Department were on the scene again this morning, and tore apart more of the school’s roof after receiving a call of visible smoke.

According to Gobeil, the fire started on the stove in the school’s canteen, and was likely due to human error.

Gobeil said he was happy with the response by his 16-person volunteer department, noting this was likely the most serious call his department has ever received.

Smeaton RCMP are investigating the cause of the fire.

 

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 5:17 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21 to include comment from Robert Bratvold.