More than a week after a fire left New Milford High School with heavy smoke and water damage, town officials announced that they've terminated the contractors working on the school.
Mayor Pete Bass said a new contracting group has not yet been hired because state funding may be pending.
In a letter to parents Tuesday, the superintendent’s office explained that the restoration company, Belfor, is still assessing classroom damage. How the high school begins the year will be dependent on the number of classrooms available.
The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 25. During Monday’s town council meeting, it was said that somewhere between 10 and 50 classrooms could be affected. The exact number remains undetermined.
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The fire marshal said the fire is still under investigation and has not declared the cause. However, the fire started on the roof, where contractors were doing work using a blow torch to melt adhesive.
If this were the cause, the mayor said it would not be the first time, citing a smaller fire last fall.
“The contractor did do a hot patch the first time which did cause a fire,” Bass said Monday.
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The mayor said United Roofing & Sheet Metal was allowed to use the blow torch method in the fall because cooler weather meant temperatures were below the adhesive manufacturer’s recommendations. The process was not approved this time.