YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — York County fire officials say a fire in the electrical equipment room at the Grafton School Complex originated in the electrical switchgear equipment.
The specific cause of the fire is still unknown and “very complicated to determine,” York County Fire and Life Safety wrote on Facebook Thursday.
Meanwhile, school officials do not yet have a plan for students and instruction moving forward, although the division said it plans to release “information on when and how students will be back in classrooms” by the end of the day Friday.
Restoring power to the complex, even temporary, could take months, the division said.
“While we had initially hoped to share our plan tonight for returning students to class, this extended timetable for repair – and its impact on our contingency plans – must be considered as part of our decision. Our team is very close to a solution, and our goal is to meet state-mandated instructional requirements without affecting spring break and without extending beyond the current last day of the school year,” the division wrote.
The division Superintendent Victor Shandor and members of the division’s operations team together discussed status updates on camera Thursday. That video is available online.
Damage
Investigation is continuing through multiple agencies and experts, including insurance representatives, in an effort to find a more specific cause.
Fire officials say the majority of the fire happened in the electrical room but the entire complex was impacted by smoke traveling throughout the building.
The worst smoke impacts are in the middle school portion of the complex.
Damage estimates are currently being put together by York County School Division staff and insurance adjusters.
The school division said sprinklers only turned on in the electrical room, resulting in a total loss of the main electrical distribution panel.
York County fire officials will not participate in any further damage information such as costs of repair or restoration.
The complex is closed through Sunday, school division officials said Thursday. The division has not given an estimated opening date.
Stay with WAVY.com for updates.
