ST. CROIX — A fire confined to the stage area of the cafetorium at the shuttered Charles H. Emanuel Elementary School building on Sunday has been extinguished, and is under investigation by local fire and law enforcement officials, the Department of Education has announced.
Victor Somme III, deputy superintendent of schools in the St. Croix District, was informed by police that a report of a fire at the vacant school, located near the Auero Diaz Heights housing community on St. Croix, was called in at around 3:15 p.m.
Mr. Somme said fire department personnel were called to the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation, D.O.E. said.
The Charles H. Emanuel School building, which housed Elena Christian Junior High School during the 2016-17 school year and the early part of school year 2017-18, has been closed since September 2017 after sustaining significant damages from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
St. Croix students and teachers are not affected by Sunday’s fire. The territory’s public schools will reopen on Tuesday, May 28 following the Memorial Day holiday on May 27.
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