Firefighters from several different agencies have managed to get this fire under control now. But early Thursday afternoon the flames were raging, and you could see the smoke for miles. Now administrators are trying to take in the full extent of the damage and figure out where to go from here.
Orange flames and black smoke billowed out of the Ag building at Dos Palos High School as firefighters tried to save an IT building filled with computers. Fire officials say the blaze also damaged the Auto Shop, and the Wood Shop was destroyed.
Ryan Williams with CALFIRE said, "From the initial size up, it was the Wood Shop, involved was where it first started."
When the fire alarm went off, students were at lunch ... many off campus ... so teachers tried to round them up in a safe area before letting them go home.
Dos Palos High School Principal Greg Thompson said, "Kids with cars were able to get their cars out here. We had a lot of parents coming to get kids, and then we had a lot of kids who ride the bus, so my Vice Principal took all of those students to the elementary school so we could have them picked up over there."
Sisters Justine and Hayley Berry say they were worried not only about their school, but also their nearby house.
Berry said, "I was really scared cause I live right here and I was thinking what if comes across the street. I was freaking out."
Administrators say they're just thankful no one was hurt.
The cause of the fire is still unknown at this point. Administrators say they've told teachers to plan on having a full day of classes Friday, but they will call staff members and students at home if that changes.
