Fire at East Vancouver school considered suspicious

Firefighters battle a blaze at Chief Maquinna Elementary School in East Vancouver. Sept. 10, 2014. (CTV)

Firefighters are investigating a blaze that ripped through a classroom at an East Vancouver school early Wednesday morning.

The flames broke out around 1:45 a.m. at Chief Maquinna Elementary School, which has been closed due to the ongoing B.C. teachers’ dispute.

The cause hasn’t been determined but the fire is considered suspicious.

Battalion Chief Archie Roberts said crews stopped the blaze from spreading to other areas of the school but one room, possibly a computer room, was extensively damaged.

“We know this classroom has a lot of computer equipment in it, but that’s all we know. We don’t know what that classroom is for,” Roberts said.

Five fire trucks and 19 firefighters were dispatched to knock down the blaze.

The school is not equipped with a sprinkler system.