The damage was extensive to the Administration building at Union Springs Academy and will result in classes being held at a nearby church. That fire, which was reported a little before 2 pm on Saturday started in the foyer, spreading to the ceiling and walls. The way the fire spread resulted in extensive damage to the structure.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The structure itself is closed off. Officials say that it won’t be safe for anyone to enter the building, which caused extensive damage to classrooms and office space. Departments from around the region were called to the initial fire, and then crews were called back after 4 pm when a secondary fire was located by those who had remained on scene from the first call. When all was said and done, those crews did not clear the scene until 9:30 pm.
Those who arrived on the scene first reported thick, heavy black smoke pouring from the facility. While the cause of the fire is unknown, the amount of effort administration will need to put in moving the school year forward for these students is known. Officials noted that they were making the appropriate plans to ensure that they could continue working and getting things in running order at Union Springs Academy.
The school said the following in a statement on Facebook:
“We are praising God for His goodness as we move forward. Our Faith is strong and morale is good. The Union Springs SDA church has opened its doors for us to continue classes. We start tomorrow in our temporary home at 10:00 with worship. Though we are temporarily without land lines and internet we will keep you posted as to our progress. Many students have books and other school supplies in the administration building. We are not allowed to retrieve anything from it. We will begin to work with them in finding replacements as needed. We thank you for your continued continued prayers and offers of support. It is good to know that our Alumni and others have a deep passion for our school.”
FingerLakes1.com will have more on this story as it develops.
Original Story
The report of a structure fire at Union Springs Academy came in around 2 pm on Saturday.
While official details have not been clear, a significant fire was reported at the Ad Building of the prep school, which is located at 40 Spring Street in the Village of Union Springs. The school, which was founded in 1921 is considered a Seventh-day Adventist boarding high school.
Crews from around Cayuga and Seneca County were called to the scene. Radio traffic indicated that the fire was knocked down around 2:50 pm. Although no official word has been released.
No injuries were reported, and the school said Saturday afternoon that everyone was safe. That fire later rekindled, according to radio traffic, which indicated that crews were called back to the scene during the evening hours.
Union Springs Academy posted two messages to Facebook when reports of the fire broke:
Read more on this fire from around the FLX:
– Crews battle structure fire at Union Springs Academy
– Firefighters respond to fire at Cayuga County school
FingerLakes1.com will have more on this story throughout the day. Check back tonight for the latest on the fire at the Union Springs Academy.
