Early morning fire destroys classrooms at Thompson elementary school

A fire at an elementary school in the northern Manitoba city of Thompson destroyed a classroom area Wednesday morning, as firefighters worked to save the rest of the building.

The fire at Westwood Elementary School started around 3:30 a.m., said Ian Graham, a communications officer for the City of Thompson.

"There's some thick black smoke coming off the building and firefighters are still fighting the fire … trying to control the flames and prevent the whole entire building from being destroyed," he told CBC shortly before noon.

No injuries were reported, but the classroom area was completely destroyed by the fire, which is believed to have started in an electrical panel, and firefighters were working to save the school's gymnasium, he said.

Equipment operators with excavators were also trying to separate the two parts of the school so the fire wouldn't spread from one to the other. 

At this point, it doesn't look like students will be going to classes there this September, Graham said, "but we won't really know until … the fire is out."

In a social media post, the Mystery Lake School Division said the fire at the kindergarten to Grade 8 school will have an impact on the September startup of classes, but more details will be released at a later time.

The fire sent thick, black smoke into the air, prompting the city to warn residents in the area to take precautions.

In a statement on its website, the city said people living near the school, on Mallard Crescent — particularly those with respiratory issues — should remain inside with windows closed to reduce exposure to the smoke, and also recommended keeping pets inside to avoid exposure to the smoke.

The city also said Westwood-area residents may experience low or no water pressure on Wednesday due to the firefighting efforts.

Thompson residents were also asked to stay away from the school area to avoid interfering with firefighting efforts.