Elizabeth Forward High School cancels school on Monday after fire rips through auditorium
ELIZABETH, Pa. (KDKA) - An early morning fire tore through the auditorium of Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth Township.
Multiple crews rushed to the school to put out the multi-alarm blaze.
It was a heartbreaking scene at Elizabeth Forward High School Sunday morning as multiple crews from serval municipalities battled a fire in the school's auditorium.
A passerby reportedly first spotted flames around 5 a.m. Sunday.
Fire crews battled the four-alarm fire located on the roof of the high school auditorium that Elizabeth Township Police Chief, Kenneth Honick, said they have almost completely ruled out arson.
"Right now, the ATF and the Allegheny County fire marshals are partnering and they are staging in the parking lot and going in and beginning an origin investigation as to what caused the fire. But I am fairly confident still at this time that we have no criminal nexus in this event."
Residents, educators, and administrators told us the theatre department was getting ready to use the auditorium for The Hunchback of Notre Dame next month. And the marching band, which also uses the space, lost most of its instruments and uniforms in this fire.
Keith Konyk, the superintendent of the Elizabeth Forward School District, said that seeing the school building on fire is simply devastating.
"It's heartbreaking. We take a lot of pride in our buildings and school district as a whole. To see this hurts our school district and hurts our entire community."
Classes are canceled for the high school Monday. The district is planning on beginning virtual learning starting on Tuesday.
As the district deals with the fallout from the fire, neighboring South Allegheny School District has offered to allow Elizabeth Forward to use its gym and school facilities.
