Skip to main content

Fire at new North Bay elementary school under construction

Share

Crews from all three North Bay fire stations were called to a fire Tuesday night at the site of a new elementary school being built in the city.

The call about a structure fire at W.J. Fricker Public School on Norman Avenue came in around 8:30 p.m. and firefighters were on the scene in four minutes, Deputy Fire Chief Greg Sanders said in an email.

Flames were visible inside the building and firefighters found "a temporary plywood structure that was being used as a temporary bathroom on fire" inside, Sanders said.

The fire was put out quickly and crews searched the facility to ensure no one was inside.

While the cause is not considered suspicious, Sanders said he could not say how it started.

No injuries were reported.

There is no estimate on the damage yet.

"The Ministry of Labour and the North Bay fire department continue their investigations this morning," Deb Bartlett, a spokesperson for Near North District School Board told CTV News in an email.

"There is no news to share at this time regarding the extent of the damage or if it will affect the schedule of the project."

The W.J. Fricker school closed in 2019 and a new facility is being built on the same site to consolidate three area schools. Read more about that here.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails

A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.

What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?

The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.

Stay Connected