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Residents in Saskatchewan watched as a local high school was lit up by fire on Friday night.
The Saskatoon Fire Department responded at around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night after two alarms in the Bethlehem Catholic High School went off, according to a Saturday news release.
Firefighters saw smoke and flames coming from a construction area attached to the school, the release said.
Videos provided to CBC by eyewitnesses of the event show several fire trucks and first responders working to extinguish the fire with a column of fire rising from the school behind them.
Fire crews set up two ladder trucks to help, spraying water directly down into the blaze.
The fire department says the fire has since been completely extinguished.
The school’s portable classrooms have significant damage from the fire. Smoke and water damage also occurred in other areas of the school. The Shaw Civic Center attached to the school was unaffected. (Submitted by Pamelaa Yuzii)
In an email to students and their families from the high school’s principal, Shelda Hanlan Stroh says the school’s new portable classrooms sustained significant damage. She also said that there was water and smoke damage to other areas of the school.
“The school and surrounding grounds are currently closed while investigators complete their work, and we assess the full impact,” the principal wrote in her statement.
No decision has been yet made about what this fire means for the new school year starting in only a few weeks.
“At this stage, we are waiting on confirmed details from the fire department and emergency personnel before final decisions are made,” Hanlan Stroh explained in her email.
Updates will be provided to the community as soon as more information is provided to the school., the statement says.
Meanwhile, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools is thanking fire crews and emergency services for their response.
Bethlehem Catholic High School is connected to the Shaw Civic Center. According to the City of Saskatoon, the centre was not affected by the fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.