Local School Fire

On July 5th a suspicious fire burned 16 classrooms, first, second and third grades, the library media center, four speech rooms, an English language development room, a resource room, four bathrooms, a storage room for P.E. equipment, a text book room, a storage room for the Parent Teacher Organization and all the brand-new supplies teachers had just received for the 2010-11 school year at Trace Elementary School in San Jose California. .

Fire inspectors are still not saying what caused the fire, but it appears to be a "suspicious cause." This is heartbreaking as the school year starts on August 16th, barely a month away and the damage estimated at $10 Million dollars is quite extensive.

In my other life, I manage a small non-profit that helps schools build gardens to provide outdoor education extensions to their classroom studies as well as help students make a connection to their food and better nutrition. We had just finished the garden at Trace Elementary two weekends prior to the fire. The good news is that the fire and the fighting of the fire left the garden untouched. The bad news is that all the curricula and texts for the garden were stored in the building that burned. We will be assisting with funds to replace the texts and curriculum guides before school starts.

Controversy exists over why this part of the school did not have automatic sprinkler systems to help reduce the fire after it started. New buildings are required by law to have sprinklers as part of the construction, but standing buildings built before the law are not required to be retrofitted. Although having automatic sprinklers may have reduced the damage, it still remains a question as how the fire started. Also, the insurance policy has a $100,000 dollar deductible. Apparently, the local community has already created a fund and several bookstores and libraries are offering books and materials to help replenish what was lost in the library.

Plans are that school sessions will start on time. This photo shows the demolition work that is already being conducted. There is still a tremendous amount to do.

Best observed large.