A fire breaks out on Friday which sets Highland High School ablaze. No one was reported to be in the building at the time. Firefighters were soon called to the scene and were able to fight the fire and stop it from spreading too far.  

A fire was caused at Highland High School around 4 a.m. Friday on April 21st. It was said to be unintentional as faulty equipment from the kitchen was blamed for the large outburst of fire. Everyone was out of the school at the time and there weren’t any cases of injuries. However, the fire left Highland’s gym, cafeteria, band and choir rooms, and the rest of the school’s D building in complete ruin. The building was said to be a complete loss by the Pocatello Fire Department as the roof of the D building had also collapsed. Luckily, the fire department was able to arrive and contain the outburst of the fire by 9 p.m. This prevented the large outburst of fire from reaching any nearby buildings. However, some smoke and water damage was caused to other parts of the school, such as the wood shop and multiple other classrooms. The area’s facility buildings kept their gas and electricity turned off just to prevent another fire from happening. 

Students were told not to return back to the school at all. Classes were held online for a bit as students and staff remained safe from the damage of the building. Recently the students have been transferred to learn at another High School for the time being. The waiting period for when students can return back to the school is unknown. District Officials are still trying to find out the state of the building and if any of it is at all salvageable. If not, then the district may have to refer students to a different school, or leave them doing online schooling until the end of the year. 

People reported later on that before the fire, they had smelled gas and had said something to the administration. Yet nothing is to be found to be written evidence reporting the smelling of gas before the fireś raged. ”My very first thought was that it was a joke,” said a behavior therapist who worked at Highland.”Once I realized it was real, I felt nervous and emotional.” Unlike other rooms of the building, her room was almost completely fine besides some minor damage. She too had said she had smelt gas beforehand yet had not seen the need to write up anything about it.