KALAHEO — Fire investigators on Sunday returned to Kalaheo Elementary School to determine the cause of the fire that destroyed six classrooms and the administration office. Kauai Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada said he expects to learn Monday the cause
KALAHEO — Fire investigators on Sunday returned to Kalaheo Elementary School to determine the cause of the fire that destroyed six classrooms and the administration office.
Kauai Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada said he expects to learn Monday the cause of Saturday’s blaze that destroyed Building A and damaged two nearby portables.
The school, which has about 480 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, is scheduled to resume classes Tuesday.
Hamada said his goal is to put all the displaced students in classrooms and not the cafeteria or any other makeshift facility. He said other classes will need to be reshuffled.
Building A was the oldest structure at the school, which celebrated its 100-year anniversary last year. The building has survived two hurricanes and served many generations of Kaua‘i families.
It was an all-wood structure and was not equipped with sprinklers, Hamada said.
He said many people, including current and former students, as well as residents in the small community, have stopped by to see the damage.
“Just to see the faces of these individuals, they’re just in shock,” he said.
Hamada said some irreplaceable records kept in the school’s administrative office were lost.
Fortunately, most important documents have backups electronically or in the school district’s offices.
