Pender Harbour Secondary School has experienced several fires in the school recently, leading to a Sunshine Coast RCMP investigation.
According to RCMP, on Jan. 21 around 11 a.m., the Pender Harbour fire department was alerted by an activated alarm at the school. A student's locker was on fire.
"No one was injured, nor was there any damage to the school. Some of the student's books and clothes were burned during the incident," said Const. Francine Moreau.
However, before the fire that elicited professional action, a student reported to staff that there was a singed garbage can in the girl's washroom. The fires follow three fires in September when a student's bag in the girls' change room and two garbage cans were lit on fire in separate incidents. One has since been removed from the list of suspicious events and related to overheated, smoking popcorn, but the other two are still under investigation. At this time, police are treating the fires as individual events, said principal Phil Luporini.
Pender Harbour fire chief Don Murray was one of several people who spoke to the students at an assembly shortly after the latest episode."I hate to call them minor fires because they [could have been] terrifying in scope if they got away," he said.
Murray said he explained to the youths what occurs when the department is activated so they would understand the consequences from the fire department's perspective. Murray said the thought of one of the fires becoming combustible and dealing with evacuation of 200 children plus staff is upsetting to have to consider.
"We want to let the entire school community - students, teachers and parents - know that we are supporting all efforts to resolve this," said Tom Hierck, assistant superintendent for School District No.46. "It is serious and we are treating it as such. To the best of our capabilities, we are doing all we can to ensure student and staff safety. We routinely practise safety procedures and know confidently we can get everyone out."Luporini said a letter was sent home to parents asking them to speak to their kids about the fires and if any information came forward, they should contact the RCMP directly.
"There are always issues that are puzzling to us, but this is our school. We take pride in the school. We're getting great support from senior management and there is a heightened awareness," Luporini said.
