Lakewood – Bear Creek High School will be closed to staff and students today while crews clean up classrooms that were damaged by a fire Saturday night.
A fire alarm alerted authorities to the blaze shortly after 11 p.m.
When firefighters arrived, they found a hallway filling with smoke and they called for more crews when the smoke became thicker and heavier, said Cindy Matthews, spokeswoman for West Metro Fire.
About 45 minutes into the blaze, firefighters were able to put it out.
The arts and ceramics room and a kiln burned, along with an adjoining classroom, Matthews said.
There was also water and smoke damage in other areas of the school, which is why authorities decided to close today, said Lynn Setzer, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Public Schools.
Because there was a lot of smoke, it just smells bad, and there is soot in some of the classrooms as well, Setzer said. We just wanted to give the cleanup crew plenty of time to get it ready for the kids and staff.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
The fire does not appear to be suspicious but remains under investigation, Matthews said. There is no indication that leads us to believe it was set intentionally.
District officials are expected to decide today how long the school will remain closed.
