A fire that was discovered about 10:30 p.m. Saturday has caused extensive damage to Geary High School, predominantly the old gym, which is considered a total loss. Geary Fire Chief Jeff Choate said the lost gym was part of the original footprint of the school. He noted there was smoke and water damage and one or two classrooms and utility closets were the most damaged. After further investigation, it was determined the band room full of instruments, a woodshop and a classroom were also heavily damaged.
Monday at noon there was still a fire crew on scene, working with the crew from Blaine County as it moved the rubble with heavy equipment, searching for hotspots.
Jim Shelton, the Blaine County Emergency Manager, said a secondary roof made it difficult to fight the fire.
Shelton added the brick walls were so damaged from heat and age, they needed to tear them down as a safety precaution.
As devastating as the loss of the buildings is, the community is dealing with the loss of its collective memories. The old gym was the site of the Geary Invitational Wrestling Tournament for many years.
“It’s pretty shocking to see it in this condition, without a doubt,” Superintendent Sean Buchanan told an Oklahoma City news outlet. “There’s a lot of history here. There are a lot of memories here.”
Hopes were the school district could unveil its plans for students for the remainder of the academic year by Wednesday.
As of press time, the cause of the fire was still under investigation.