BETHEL -- Students displaced by a fire that destroyed much of their school on Tuesday now have temporary new places to learn, the Lower Kuskokwim School District said Wednesday.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is still in its early stages. The only ladder truck for Bethel's small fire department was damaged by the heat and smoke. But challenging logistics to return students to class came together on a fast track.
Students from two magnet schools housed in the building that locals still call the Kilbuck school will be spread temporarily among several locations.
Those who attended Ayaprun Elitnaurvik, a Yup'ik language immersion elementary school, will return to class on Monday, Superintendent Dan Walker said Wednesday. Children in kindergarten through third grade will be housed on the lower floor of the school district building. Those in grades four through six will be in classrooms made available in Gladys Jung Elementary School, he said in an email.
High school students from Kuskokwim Learning Academy, a regional boarding school, will return to class Thursday at Yuut Elitnaurviat, a regional training center, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kuskokwim campus, the superintendent said. About 40 lived in dorms and they are being housed in Yuut's new dorm.
"The community of Bethel has been outstanding in support of the displaced students and staff of Ayaprun Elitnaurvik and Kuskokwim Learning Academy," the district said in a press release Wednesday evening. "Through an outpouring of support and partnerships a temporary solution has been identified." Parents will be notified of the details, the district said. A long-term solution for the rest of the school year is still being worked on but should be announced in coming weeks.
The Kilbuck building was insured, the superintendent said.
Donations for classroom supplies and clothing may be arranged through Mary Noes or Sharon Wegner at 907-543-4886, the district said. The community is planning a spaghetti feed to raise money for school supplies and immediate needs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Bethel Regional High School.
The Bethel Fire Department was unable to find a connection at the Kilbuck school for its fire hoses, which would have allowed it to force more water into the building through the sprinkler system. Walker said he didn't think the building had such a connection.
It wasn't yet known on Wednesday whether the school's sprinkler system kicked in, drawing from the school water supply, but school officials think it operated correctly.
"They are tested as required, so I am assuming they worked as designed," Walker said by email.
While the school building dates to 1962, the district does a good job with key maintenance and repairs, said Bethel Fire Chief Bill Howell. The sprinkler system appeared to engage but he wasn't yet sure either. Anyway, a sprinkler system can't put out a major fire that is in the roof, but can weaken it, he said.
Investigators were just starting to piece together the chain of events that contributed to Tuesday's devastation, Howell said. They were interviewing school district employees Wednesday afternoon. A state fire investigator arrived to help.
Firefighters made drastic decisions in the field to bring in heavy equipment and tear down walls, creating a fire break that left part of Kuskokwim Learning Academy intact and helped knock the fire down, he said. Those actions were necessary, but may make the investigation more difficult, he said.
When the fire shifted course, the department's only ladder truck ended up too close to the heat, he said.
"It has some evidence of smoke and heat damage," Howell said. "We haven't had a moment to evaluate that yet."
That type of equipment, with the long extendable ladder, isn't designed to be right in the middle of the fire and smoke, the fire chief said. A volunteer firefighter high on the ladder provided a dramatic and even heroic image as she worked to keep water on the fire for a long stretch of the incident on Tuesday.
"I would say it was too close," he said. "The conditions had changed."
The ladder truck likely will need to be checked by an inspector before it can be sent out on another fire, Howell said.
The Bethel Fire Department has six staff firefighters, including Howell, and 30 volunteers.