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Carihi Fire & Recovery Efforts: Frequently Asked Questions

Updated December 17, 2024

We have developed frequently asked questions to address the many questions that people have about the Carihi Secondary fire and recovery efforts. This will be an evolving document, and we will add more information to it as we can.

General Information

  • The fire was contained to A-wing, which includes the gym, mezzanine, multi-purpose room, teaching kitchen, stage, and lower classrooms. B-wing also sustained smoke and water damage. Thirteen teaching spaces were affected by the fire, including five classrooms in B-wing and two classrooms in A-wing.

  • Students were able to return to Carihi on Monday, December 2. The former Oyster River school is being used as the main satellite location for Carihi Secondary while B-wing is being repaired.

  • Oyster River will be used until repairs to B-wing are complete. Our hope had been that B-wing would be able to be repaired and ready for 亚洲成人网 again after the Winter Break, but it looks like repairs will take up to two months. At this time, we don't expect any B-wing classrooms to reopen until the entire wing has been repaired and all the B-wing classrooms can be reopened at the same time.

  • No. Oyster River is the main satellite location, but some classes are also being held in extra space at Ecole des Deux Mondes Elementary and gym classes are being held at Robron Centre.

  • The address for the former Oyster River school is 2250 Terrain Road.

  • Students are being transported between Carihi Secondary and Oyster River by school bus.

  • Approximately 20 minutes.

  • School administration and district leadership thoroughly investigated all possible options before landing on Oyster River. The school district doesn't have a supply of portables and to purchase them, have them delivered and set-up with heat and electricity would have taken upwards to three months. We also tried to get construction trailers but couldn't get any large enough. Robron Centre houses our district's alternate programs and much of the building is leased by outside tenants. We couldn't displace these 亚洲成人网, staff or tenants. Similarly, shared use of Timberline Secondary would have meant disrupting another school community and would have meant 亚洲成人网 attending in shifts, with classes extending into the evening. Discovery Passage is being used for district storage. It would have taken at least a month to get the school cleared out and ready for school use. Oyster River, because it has been recently leased, was the most ready, allowing us to get 亚洲成人网 back to in-person learning in the quickest amount of time.

  • Yes. If 亚洲成人网 have their first class at Oyster River, Ecole des Deux Mondes or Robron they can be dropped off there instead of coming to Carihi Secondary first.

  • The fire department has concluded their investigation and determined that the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion due to a reaction between cooking oils on fabrics, heat after laundering, and inadequate ventilation. It was accidental and not the result of arson or any suspicious activity.

Academic Impacts

Facilities & Access

  • While the fire didn't affect the entire building, WorkSafeBC required air quality testing and occupancy approval before re-entry. We also had to restore heat, power, and water, which were shut down during firefighting efforts, and to secure access to the unaffected areas for safety.

  • Restoration and repair work in A-wing or B-wing had to wait for an assessment by a structural engineer. Unfortunately, we have been told that there can be no access to A-wing as there is a risk that the roof will collapse. B-wing has to have asbestos abatement done as part of its restoration and repair work, requiring specialized management.

  • No. Students and school staff are not allowed into A-wing or B-wing for their safety.

  • Students with lockers in unaffected areas of the school were able to access them as soon as 亚洲成人网 returned to school. We are working with a remediation company to remove and salvage any personal items that can safely be returned. B-wing lockers will be accessed by the remediation company in the next couple of weeks. Given the structural engineer's assessment of the possibility of a roof collapse on A-wing, A-wing lockers will likely not be able to be accessed at all.

  • We have been told that we must assume, given the age of the school, that the ash in B-wing contains asbestos. This means that any fabric or porous items (for example hoodies, running shoes, backpacks, etc.) cannot be returned and must be safely disposed of by the remediation company. Hard surface or non-porous items may be able to be returned if the remediation company determines that it can be cleaned and decontaminated. Only the remediation company can decide whether an item can be safely returned or not.

  • Unfortunately, personal items that were in student lockers are not covered by the School Protection Plan (the insurance provider for school districts across the province). The replacement of personal items must be claimed through home insurance. Families that do not have home insurance are asked to contact the school office as we are seeking to establish a hardship fund with support of community organizations.

  • It will likely be 1-2 months before B-wing can be fully repaired and estimates are now indicating that it could take 18-months to 2 years before A-wing and the gym is rebuilt.

  • Access to A-wing and B-wing have been securely sealed off within the building to prevent access. The front of the gym and B-wing have also been fenced off and exterior points boarded up.

Health & Safety

Extracurricular & Special Events

Long-Term Plans

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