Repairs are expected to continue at St. John Fisher Catholic School over the next couple of weeks after a minor fire broke out in a kitchenette.
The fire at the Forest school was reported on Friday, January 9.
The St. Clair Catholic District School Board said the damage estimate is still being finalized, but the cost is expected to exceed $80,000.
Restoration and air-quality specialists, as well as school board staff worked throughout the weekend to safely reopen the facility on Monday, January 12.
"We are grateful for the swift response and professionalism of our school staff and emergency responders. Additionally, the amazing work performed by the restoration specialists and our facilities team was exceptional," said Director of Education Lisa Demers. “Their collective efforts ensured the school was thoroughly cleaned, inspected, and ready to reopen. We also sincerely thank our families and staff for their patience and cooperation throughout this process.”
The kitchenette will remain blocked off until the necessary repairs are completed.
The school board said the ongoing repairs are expected to have minimal impact on the school’s daily operations.
As part of the cleaning and restoration work, all affected smoke detectors, fire suppression systems, and alerting equipment were reinstalled or replaced.
