Suzanne Gammon
Tribune
Students were quickly evacuated from White Woods Public School on Monday morning, December 8 after a fire broke out inside the school, engulfing part of the building in smoke. The fire caused an estimated $500,000 in damage but no one was injured thanks to the quick action of staff.
WN Fire Chief Frank Loeffen says his crews arrived on scene at 11:05 am and saw heavy smoke coming from a classroom in the northeast section of the school. The site was already empty as school staff had followed their emergency protocols and quickly brought all students and personnel to the safety of Northern Secondary School, just next door.
Once inside, fire fighters found the classroom’s sprinkler system had automatically activated, containing the fire to the one room. However, the blaze produced a great deal of smoke and caused significant damage, which the chief estimated at around $500,000. He said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined, with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office set to investigate.
Parents were sent a message from the school asking them to pick up their child at Northern Secondary. White Woods remained closed the next two days, but on Wednesday afternoon, teachers and parents learned that starting Thursday morning, Dec. 11, all 288 students from White Woods would be attending class at Northern Secondary until further notice.
