On the morning of January 12, many of Wayne City’s citizens gathered as the Wayne City High School ag building went up in flames. Firefighters at the scene tended to the fire in the extreme cold which left ice build up on their coats and in their beards. Students luckily were out of school that Friday due to a snow day, which means no one was hurt or in the building.

The men had a long day ahead of them when they started working to put out the fire early in the day, around 9:30, and didn’t leave until mid-afternoon. However, throughout this time, students and the men and women of Wayne City gathered together to aid the firefighters. Some were bringing food and drinks to the men, whereas some would bring the firefighters their vehicles/buses to warm up in and take a break.

Not much is known about what started the fire, except authorities do know it began in the attic. Not much has been salvaged, however the debris is still being sifted through.

Renovations were supposed to begin in the building in February. However, after the fire, the damage will have to be picked up and the structure will have to be rebuilt, taking longer for the construction to be completed. Classes that were located in the building have now been moved inside the school to the driver’s education room and the junior high science lab.

Next time you see one of these men that helped put out the fire, make sure to thank them! Not only did they put out the fire, they also saved the new school from catching fire.