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Fire Forces Closure Of Helena's C.R. Anderson Middle School

C.R. Anderson Middle School in Helena.
Dan Boyce
C.R. Anderson Middle School in Helena is closed temporarily due to fire damage.

It’s a short school week for students at a Helena middle school that was damaged by a fire Monday afternoon.

Classes were canceled today at C.R. Anderson Middle School and won’t resume until Thursday at the earliest. 

Helena Public School’s Barbara Ridgway says there’s extensive water damage in the cafeteria and gymnasium:

“We’re conducting assessments. We want to make sure we have no issues related to things like lead or asbestos. We want to make sure all of that’s complete before students are allowed back in the building.”

The fire is believed to have started in a light fixture, but the investigation continues.

Everyone in the building was safely evacuated. No students were there because it was an early release day.

According to Ridgway there are about 20 days left in the school year and this week’s missed class time may have to be made up.

“It is possible," Ridgway says. "We haven’t made a determination yet until we know how much time has to be made up and how we will do it.”

Again, all classes and school activities at Helena’s C.R. Anderson Middle School are canceled through at least Wednesday, May 10.

Updates can be found at www.helenaschools.org

Edward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the UM School of Journalism. He covers a wide range of stories from around the state.
edward.obrien@umt.edu.  
(406) 243-4065
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