No injuries at fire at North Bay School, classes and childcare cancelled Wednesday

A small fire has closed Mother St. Bride School in North Bay, officials confirmed late Tuesday evening.

No one was injured following a fire at Mother St. Bride Catholic Elementary School on Second Avenue West in North Bay on Tuesday evening.

Fire crews were called to the building just after 6 p.m. and found a small, active fire involving a dishwasher in the daycare’s kitchenette. North Bay Fire Chief credited the school’s well-maintained fire alarm system for quickly alerting authorities to the blaze.

Speaking to CTV News by phone, the local fire chief said the situation could have been far more severe without the early warning.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and damage is still being assessed.

In a statement on its website, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board said that Mother St. Bride School and the child care centre will be closed on Wednesday, March 19, “as a precaution.”

The board said a restoration crew is onsite to address lingering odours from the smoke.

“Air scrubbers and portable air purifiers have been set up in the school to operate overnight and tomorrow to help reduce the odour,” reads the board statement.

Staff are reaching out to affect parents affected by the closure of the child care centre.

Both the child care centre and the school are expected to reopen on Thursday.

“We will be monitoring the situation throughout the day tomorrow,” board official said.

“(We) will continue to provide updates to the Mother St. Bride School community through Edsby and Facebook.”

Parents are asked to check back for updates.