Fire Destroys Wing of California Elementary School

A fire destroyed a wing of a California elementary school while damaging another on Friday, December 29. No children were at Bret Harte Elementary School in Modesto at the time of the fire due to winter break.

The fire destroyed a wing that contained three classrooms and a computer lab, and a second wing suffered heat damage, a news report said.

The gates to the school were locked when firefighters arrived because of the winter break, and firefighters had to cut through the lock to gain entry to the property. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The school has an enrollment of 1,015 students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade, and students were not due to return until January 15. The news report said officials did not comment how the fire would affect the school. Credit: Modesto Fire Department via Storyful