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A blaze destroyed a school in Berens River and prompted the closure of the eastern Manitoba First Nation’s public offices, with leaders urging residents to remain indoors as smoke filled the sky Tuesday morning.
Multiple posts on social media show heavy flames and smoke spewing from Berens River School early Tuesday.
The school, constructed in 1968, had nursery to Grade 9 students and an adult education program, the Frontier School Division says.
RCMP were called to the fire at the school in Berens River, a community of about 2,300 people roughly 275 kilometres north of Winnipeg, along the east side of Lake Winnipeg, around 3 a.m. Tuesday, police told CBC News.
No one was inside the school at the time of the blaze, RCMP said.
This photo of Berens River School was taken around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. (Submitted by April Swain)
Principal Karen Batenchuk said the school was destroyed.
“We are in the process of planning for the next steps for school,” she said in a statement posted to social media shortly before 1 p.m.
“Everyone is safe, we are still processing the tragedy.”
Hourslong battle to stamp out fire
Berens River’s chief and council say they don’t want to speculate on what caused the blaze.
The fire spread quickly, and emergency crews and first responders worked for about six hours to keep it from spreading further, a statement posted to social media by chief and council Tuesday afternoon said.
“However, despite their best efforts, the school was a complete loss,” the statement said.
Chief and council are exploring short- and long-term solutions for the school’s nearly 400 students, they said..
Earlier Tuesday, the community’s leadership told residents in a memo to stay indoors until further notice, and to make sure that windows and doors remained closed to reduce exposure to smoke.
Residents were also asked to keep roadways clear and to allow emergency vehicles to move as needed. Essential services continued to operate, but the memo said all public offices would be closed until the fire was fully extinguished and air quality returned to safe levels.
The First Nation’s arena was previously destroyed by fire last January.