Hometown and other Schuylkill County fire companies, some wearing parade attire, spent their Memorial Day fighting a destructive fire at the Mahanoy City Area school complex that started just before 8 a.m. Monday morning.
The fire started in a the ceiling of a storage room located near the cafeteria. The fire broke out in the cafeteria complex. One witness stated, "Thick black billowing smoke shot out the school's glass front doors when firefighters opened them."
On a normal Monday, the complex holds about 1,000 elementary, middle and high school students during a school day. Fire officials also noted the heat of the blaze was so hot that steel beams holding the second floor began to sag.
Officials also stated that a visible crack is evidence that the building has settled from the fire, making the floor uneven.
"There is a lot of smoke and a lot of soot throughout