Fire closes Waldorf school after shed burns overnight

A fire in a woodworking shed outside the Waldorf School in Lækjarbotnar led the school to cancel classes on Wednesday, mbl.is reported. The headteacher expects classes could resume on Thursday, but said the decision would be made in consultation with firefighters and police.

The shed stands in a water protection zone, so authorities decided to let it burn to avoid contaminating the surrounding soil. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Residents in the area smelled smoke and called the fire service, which received the report at about 7.30am. No children had arrived at school when officials instructed it to close for the day. The decision was made because the wind direction, and where the smoke might travel, was uncertain.

Headteacher Björn Logi Sigurbergsson said the school would discuss with education officials how to address the incident with pupils and would also contact parents. “Fortunately, they were not there, so they did not experience the fire itself,” he said, adding that it would still be unsettling for pupils to find a classroom gone.