A fire early Monday damaged a southeast high school ahead of the learning week.
Calgary fire crews were called to the Dr. Norman Bethune School building just after 2 a.m.
CFD sent nine trucks to battle the blaze with it being called a “stubborn” fire by the battalion chief as firefighters had to move a bunch of tables and chairs to get too hot spots.
No injuries were reported.
The Foundations for the Future Charter Academy (FFCA) said they are transitioning around 500 students and “dozens” of staff to online learning, following the blaze.
The FFCA has 3,700 students across eight campuses in the city.
A news release from the charter school said the damage to the interior and exterior of the building was “extensive” and “will be unusable for the remainder of the year.”
The FFCA board chair said this is another “major disruption” to students’ education.
“After over two years of uncertainty driven by the pandemic, this event adds yet another layer of stress and anxiety for everyone impacted by it,” Jeff Wilson said in a statement. “We are grateful for the support being offered by Alberta Education as we look for alternatives to Dr. Norman Bethune School and hope to have our students and staff back together in classrooms as soon as possible.”
The arson unit of the Calgary Police Service was called in to investigate the fire they have classified as “suspicious.”
Fire investigators are looking at exterior damage along with some smoke damage inside.
Investigators are also reviewing CCTV from the area.
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