Fairmont High School - Maple Leaves Yearbook (Fairmont, WV)

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IT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE for many students and graduates as they view the 50-year-old structure burning. Fire 19

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MT€Lm€ 79 This time it was no joke. For years Fairmont Senior had been plagued by bomb scares, threats of fire and in two instances, minor fire losses. But Tuesday, February 27, it really happened. 7:45 a.m.-Speech teacher, Mr. Robert Hawkins sighted smoke on the roof when looking out his window from the senior court. Upon sum- moning Principal John Ten- nant, Mr. Hawkins pushed the fire alarm. When the alarm failed, Mr. Tennant rushed to the intercom to give orders to evacuate the building. 7:55 a.m.—All students and teachers were standing around the main building watching smoke ooz out from around the eaves of the roof. Administrators and counselors scurried to secure irreplaceable documents into the fireproof safe. 8:00 a.m.-Fire trucks raced up the back drive and ex- tended their ladders over the side of the building to begin extinguishing efforts. Small flames could be seen eating through the roof. 8:20 a.m.-Unable to get to the front of the school be- cause of the 115 acre front lawn, firemen continued their fight from the back drive. 850 a.m.—100-foot flames shot into the sky as the only wood portion of the 50-year- old structure instantly disappeared. 8:40 a.m.-In an effort to save the front of the school, fire trucks broke through the hedges along the street and attempted to get close to the burning edifice. Hampered by the new fallen snow, the fire truck bogged down and had to be towed closer to the building. 9:00 a.m.—Firemen began pouring water into the front roof which was two-thirds gone. 950 a.m.—The fire was to- tally extinguished. Like a sailor without his hat, Fair- mont Senior stood particlly unclothed, begging for help. CLEANING UP EXCESS WATER, printing instructor Mr. Dan Kupets joins faculty members to recover from damages. OPENING HER LOCKER, junior AFTER A LONG MORNING OF Frances Alvaro finds her belongings CLEANING UP, members of the fac- burned to a crisp. ulty decide where to go for lunch. 18 Fire

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D 4T€LIM€ 79 continued BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER Mr. Frank Cimino views extensive damage to the roof along with Mr. Leonard Eddy, county maintenance supervisor. When the damage could be totaled, the fire which re- sulted from faulty wiring in the attic created a loss near $1 million. All Marion County's main- tenance personnel combined with the faculty and custo- dians moved into the school to clean up. While crews soaked up water and col- lected debris, teachers packed everything in their classrooms and moved to dry parts of the building still un- der roof. Unable to conduct classes in the structure, the Board of Education was faced with the problem of where to relocate the 1030 students. Sending the students on an afternoon schedule to cross-town East Fairmont High, spreading stu- dents among area grade schools and churches, or uti- lizing the undamaged por- tions of the main building and the Freshman and Polar Bear Buildings on campus were the choices examined by the board. Deemed the most fea- sible and least disruptive of the choices, students re- turned March 12 after the nine-day recess to the crippled school. Guidance counselors re- vamped the master schedule relocating the 11 classrooms damaged. Seven classes were conducted in the auditorium, all phased English classes were combined and the so- cial studies classes of four teachers were conducted at the Fifth Street Gym three blocks away. After a temporary roof was constructed and as class- rooms were repaired, teach- ers began moving back to their original locations. Within a month after the tragedy, all classes were back in their rooms except the library which suffered the greatest loss and did not reopen the entire year. Even when school closed June 15, students and faculty wrinkled their noses when a distinct smell reminded them of that February day when it really happened. VIEWING THE FIRE, Channel 12 news caster Eric Randall reports state-wide the tragedy in Fairmont. MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY, Mr. Bill Lawson and Coach Bob DeLorenzo join Principal John Tennant, superin- tendent T.J. Pearse and board mem- ber Mr. Frank Cimino to discuss preparations for the opening of the school. IN EVACUATING THE BUILDING, many faculty members and students were praised for a job well done. 20 Fire