A fire was reported at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in St. Cloud on the morning of July 4. Police officers were dispatched to the school at about 6 a.m. after the fire was spotted by a person walking past the building, according to a July 5 joint statement from the St. Cloud police and fire departments.
No one was inside the school at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries, the statement said.
While there was smoke throughout the building, the damage was confined to the interior southeast entry area, said Father Tom Knoblach, pastor of the school’s sponsoring parishes of Holy Spirit, St. Anthony and St. John Cantius in St. Cloud. No cost estimate of the damage was immediately available.
Investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, he said, adding that plans are to have the building ready for use in time for the start of the school year. The summer Kid Kare program will be relocated to the St. Anthony’s site beginning July 8.
School principal Kelly Vangsness reached out to parents via email to inform them about the situation. She said she would keep them updated as more information becomes available.
“We ask your prayers for our school community and for the emergency personnel and other professionals who have been so helpful, even on the holiday,” Father Knoblach said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the St. Cloud Police Department at 320-251-1200.