Fire at Apanui school in Whakatāne: eight classrooms, teachers room destroyed

A Whakatāne primary school community was “shocked and saddened” after a massive fire destroyed eight classrooms and a teachers’ lounge overnight.

“There are few words for how we feel this morning,” Apanui school principal Simon Akroyd said.

He said the entire school community was shocked and saddened by the fire.

Firefighters battled the blaze at the Apanui school, located on McAlister St in Whakatāne, after being called around 2 a.m. this morning.

Akroyd said the cause remained unknown but was confident that the New Zealand Fire and Emergency team would work to determine this.

“Right now, however, our focus is on our school community – the students, their whānau, and our staff – and supporting all of them as best we can.

He said that through adversity there was always the opportunity to learn, grow, and be resilient.

“The Apanui school has a strong sense of whanaungatanga and I know that the school and the community at large will come together as we rebuild stronger.”

Akroyd said the school’s leadership team would work with the Ministry of Education and other agencies to ensure its tamariki get the school opportunities they deserve.

Danni Rose, whose son attended school, said she woke up to a loud noise outside her home and could see the flames rising.

He said the sky was lit up and blazing with plumes of smoke coming from the school building.

She said she was concerned about the impact the fire would have on students, her daughter loved going to school and was upset to learn of the incident.

Rose said she is not sure if her son will be able to return to school.

Until staff found space for the children, there was a lot in the air, he said.

A New Zealand Fire and Emergency spokesperson said six teams were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire, which broke out in the school’s administration building.

The school posted on social media this morning, saying eight classrooms, bathrooms, a temporary staff room and “leaky building repairs” have been “lost.”

Dozens of people have responded to photos of the fire in disbelief, one saying it was “heartbreaking” and another saying it was “absolutely heartbreaking.”

Northern Fire communications shift manager Craig Dalley said the fire was already out.

A fire investigator was on the scene this morning to determine if he was a suspect.

Akroyd said he highly commended the local volunteer Community Fire and Emergency team who had made a significant effort to contain the fire and continued to make the area safe.

More than 400 children are enrolled in the school with 35 employees.