Gloucester

Electrical Fire at Grafton Leaves School Indefinitely Closed

By Layout Editor Eve Austin

On Monday, February 3rd, 2019, the complex which houses both Grafton High School and Grafton Middle School was struck with an electrical fire which caused significant electrical damage. The school is now closed indefinitely. Katherine Goff, school division spokeswoman, sent a mass email that the school would be closed through February 7th, but that the York County School District “does not have an anticipated date for reopening the complex.” All activities occurring in the campus have been cancelled indefinitely. York County Fire, Dominion Energy and county officials are estimating that restoring even temporary power could take months.

On the day of the fire, the York Fire and Life Safety crew arrived to the scene at about 3:45 p.m. The school day was over, but students were still participating in after-school activities in the building. The fire was in the main electrical room, and though smoke had spread throughout some of the school building, no student or employee was injured. The main electrical distribution panel was left destroyed, leaving the entire building without power. The cause of the fire is undetermined, although it seems to have been a result of faulty electrical wiring. Students still in the building were evacuated to Amory Funeral Home for parent pick-up.

Within the community there has been much discussion as to where the students will resume their school year after the shake-up. The York County Superintendent recently released that Grafton students will have to split days, sharing campuses with two other schools: York High School and Tabb Middle School, as well as additional school days on ten Saturdays. Parent Tiffany Hansler explained this will change their schedules but her daughter needs her education. "It’s important that the kids get their schedule and go to school and it’s the best situation they could have come up with," said Hansler.

As a community, we are lucky that the fire did not harm any students or staff, and we send our best wishes to the Grafton school system as they get their school year back on track.