Damage at Highland High School in an early morning fire was severe Friday, but firefighters said they were able to keep the flames contained mostly to a single building. The blaze at Highland started at around 4 a.m. Firefighters arrived and found the school’s D building covered in flames. Officials said they attacked the fire aggressively and contained it by 9 a.m. According to Pocatello Fire Department Assistant Chief Shane Grow, however, the D building was a complete loss. Its roof collapsed and it suffered severe structural damage. The building housed the band and choir rooms, cafeteria, and the school’s gymnasium.
Grow said there was minor smoke and water damage to other areas of the school, such as the auto shop and the woodshop, but those areas were unscathed by the fire. Grow said an investigation into the cause of the fire would begin as soon as possible. Local agencies, state fire marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will be investigating. Grow said no one expects anything nefarious. There were no injuries to civilians or first responders in the fire. Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 canceled classes for students at the school on Friday and issued the following statement:
“We appreciate the outpouring of support and goodwill that we have received both locally and across the state including Gov. Little’s office and the Idaho Superintendent of Schools. We will continue to keep Highland families updated throughout the days and weeks to come with details as they are confirmed,” spokeswoman Courtney Fisher said. In light of the destruction, Idaho State University offered to host a prom night at the university that was originally scheduled to be held in the high school gymnasium on Saturday. “I am heartened by the fact that the Highland High School prom will be hosted on our campus in the Pond Student Union Ballroom,” ISU President Kevin Satterlee wrote in an email to university students and alumni. “ISU stands ready to supply additional support as needed throughout this crisis.”
Source: Idaho Statesman