Midland high school closes for the week after Saturday morning fire

St. Theresa's Catholic High School is pictured in this file image in Midland, Ont. (CTV News/Beatrice Vaisman)

Classes have been cancelled for this week at St. Theresa’s Catholic High School after a fire in one of its rooms this weekend.

The incident

According to Don Hebner, Midland’s deputy fire chief, they were dispatched to a fire at the high school at around 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

The fire was reportedly contained to one room at the north end of the school thanks to the building’s sprinkler system.

Deputy Chief Hebner confirms there were no injuries and firefighters quickly ensured that the fire was fully extinguished.

The incident is not considered suspicious, however, it remains under investigation.

The Midland Fire Department reminds residents to disconnect lithium battery chargers once batteries are fully charged.

Classes cancelled

The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) shared a letter and voicemail that was sent to students by Mike Quinn, Principal, and Scot Gorecki, Superintendent, advising that the school will be closed this week from Tuesday until Friday.

“Fire damage was limited to this area, however, the smoke and water damage has impacted the entire north wing of the building,” said Quinn and Gorecki in the letter. “The board has contracted restoration and remediation specialists who have been onsite since Saturday to begin the significant cleaning, restoration and remediation work that is required prior to the building being safe for occupancy.”

The school adds that busses will also be cancelled and there will be no access for students or staff to pick up their personal belongings, negating their ability to move classes online.

“The building is off limits and for the safety and security of everyone we cannot make exceptions,” continued Quinn and Gorecki. “We are not able to transition to on-line learning during this period because learning materials and many staff/student devices are in the school and can’t be retrieved.”

All athletic activities, field trips and special events planned for the week are also cancelled.

“We know that this is significant news and it will be upsetting for many of our staff, students and families,” concluded Quinn and Gorecki. “As a school community, we will come together to overcome this unfortunate situation. Let’s pray that we can return to our building soon and in the meantime, thank you for cooperation, patience and support.”