The Taranaki school badly damaged by fire today will remain closed tomorrow but classes will resume as soon as possible.
Massive fire burning at Hawera Intermediate School in South Taranaki. Devastating for all. pic.twitter.com/mRzUpB2GjY
— Sharon Honeyfield (@NakiGirl2013) October 12, 2015
The fire - which has destroyed up to half the buildings at Hawera Intermediate - began in a two-storey block housing ten classrooms and administrative areas.
It took 50 firefighters two hours to put the fire out.
Principal Craig Simpson said staff had contacted all 300 students.
The Fire Service was called to the Hawera Intermediate School about 6am.
Taranaki assistant area commander Rob Karaitiana said about half of the two-storey building was substantially damaged, but no one was injured.
"There's substantial damage to the gymnasium and classrooms, but the crew has managed to save an admin block and some other classrooms," he said.
The school was a relatively new wooden building measuring about 80 by 30 metres.
He said fire investigators were at the scene, along with fire crews and police who had set up a cordon around the school.
Fire crew at Hawera Intermediate School. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
Ministry of Education spokesperson Jan Marsh said it was working with staff at to find a way to reopen the school, possibly at a temporary site.
A possible solution was to bring relocatable buildings in from other schools which did not need them.
It had a building contractor visiting the school today to assess the damage to buildings, and whether asbestos was present on the site.
It was possible students would be relocated to nearby schools, Ms Marsh said.
"We have had other situations where we've have to co-locate students and we are confident that we will have an interim solution up and running in the next couple of days."
The ministry had a traumatic incident team at the school to provide support to staff and students.
Damage to Hawera Intermediate School. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
Parents and supporters took to Facebook to express their concern for the school.
Vanessa Dillon said it was "very sad news. Our thoughts go out to the staff and students".
"That is just awful [sic]," Megan Darryl Wereta wrote. "Two devastated kids in my house. They just love that school. Stay strong. Love to all the staff."
