A fire at Mona Heights Primary School in St Andrew early last Thursday morning damaged three classrooms and a storeroom. A preliminary estimate has put the loss at $37 million, according to Principal Alex Hepburn.

Hepburn told the Jamaica Observer on Saturday that the fire is suspected to have started sometime after 3:30 am in the storeroom and spread to the grade one block where three classrooms were affected. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

“We have lost our storeroom. We lost our smoothie bar. We lost two classrooms, and one classroom was minimally damaged. We also lost six refrigerators and a number of other small items. We purchased over a million dollars worth of food items for the canteen and the tuck shop for the following week, which all went up in flames,” he said.

Books, tables, chairs, and other educational materials inside the classrooms also went up in flames.

The room least affected was filled with smoke, which stained the roof and walls.

Hepburn explained that while the damage is minimal, the classroom will be closed to prevent any potential impact on students with asthma.

Mona Heights Primary has a student population of more than 1,100. Of that number, 400 will be impacted by the fire.

The principal explained that the damage means the school has an inadequate food supply to feed the entire student body. As such, students in grades one and two will transition to online learning until a long-term solution is in place.

He said that after receiving the phone call about the fire, he contacted the Ministry of Education, which was very responsive.

“The ministry has given us 100 per cent support. We met with the regional director, and at all levels they have provided support for us. The building officers have come in already and done their assessments. I have already begun getting chairs for the children, so we’re now looking at, short term, putting a tent or two tents to have classes,” he told the Sunday Observer.

The school has also received help to replenish its food supply.