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As flames shot up the walls of Bethlehem Catholic High School last week, Vanessa Gerard watched in shock.
“They were, like, taller than the school,” she told CBC Saskatchewan’s Saskatoon Morning. “The whole back end of the school, the module that they were building was, like, totally engulfed in flames.”
Gerard said she had heard from a friend on social media that the school was on fire, and walked from her home with her two daughters to see what was going on.
Hundreds of people had gathered to watch the blaze, and police were working to keep them away from the scene, she said. A video she posted to Facebook was viewed around 70,000 times, she said.
A week later, questions still remain about how the fire started, and what students at the school can expect when they return to class in a few weeks.
Crowds gathered outside of Bethlehem Catholic High School to watch as flames and smoke took over parts of the school. (Submitted by David Santosi)What is the plan for back-to-school?
Crews responded to calls about a fire at the school in the city’s west end around 10:30 p.m. CST on Aug. 7. The origin of the fire is believed to be suspicious and an arson investigator is on the case, Saskatoon police said on Monday.
Gerard said her daughters don’t attend the school, but one of them is in Grade 9 and has friends who go to Bethlehem.
“She was concerned about her friends, if they’re going to start school on time or not,” Gerard said.
Portable classrooms at the school took the brunt of the blaze. (Albert Couillard/Radio-Canada)
The estimated 1,500 students enrolled at Bethlehem will be in class for their first day of school on Sept. 2, said Diane Boyko, chair of the Catholic school board.
The details are “a work in progress,” but staff and parents will be receiving more information next week, she told Saskatoon Morning.
“There’ll be a shifting of some schedules” in order to fit everyone, she said.
“We’re looking at doing those types of things that will still allow for our student body to be together.”
Some portable classrooms ‘totally destroyed’
A week later, staff now also have a better picture of the extent of the damage to the school.
A burned portable classroom at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Saskatoon on Aug. 10, 2026. (Édith Boisvert/CBC)
Four of the portable classrooms that were under construction are totally destroyed, Boyko said.
Some of the 22 portables attached to the school are burned, while others have smoke and water damage, she said. Parts of the main school building also have smoke and water damage.
Inspections are still ongoing, and their results will determine what has to be done with the damaged areas, Boyko said.
WATCH | School board’s response to Bethlehem blaze:
Saskatoon Catholic school board chair talks about fire at high school last week
Videos of Bethlehem Catholic High School quickly went viral last week. Footage of a fire there — shared with CBC News — shows columns of flame and smoke engulfing parts of the school. Now police are investigating and believe the fire is suspicious. Diane Boyko is the board chair of Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools.
As a result of the fire, she’s sure administrators and staff will be reviewing safety policies.
“The policies that we have are good policies,” she said.
“But when something happens, you always analyze again and relook at what you do have, and is there something that you can add.”