Massive fire destroys St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield

A massive fire destroyed St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield, Delaware County, on Monday. It happened at the building on campus that housed pre-K, first and third grade students, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Students in second grade and fourth to eighth grade at St. Francis of Assisi attend classes in another building on campus.

The fire started just after 5 p.m. at the school located on Saxer Avenue.

It's unclear how the fire started. The AOP said classes for all grades at St. Francis of Assisi School will be canceled on Tuesday.

"We are deeply grateful to all fire departments and other first responders for their rapid response and for their work to control the blaze," the AOP said in a statement.

The Springfield Police Department said at around 9 p.m. that the scene at the school is still active and the area surrounding the fire will be closed through the night.

"We are on site at St. Francis for a fire at the school," the department wrote on X. "This is an active scene. We ask our community members to please respect the work of the fire companies and first responders and keep away from the scene."

No injuries have been reported due to the blaze. Smoke billowed out from the school and right near the St. Francis of Assisi church as firefighters worked to contain the fire.

The AOP said nobody was inside the school during the fire.

According to the AOP, they're working to find another learning location for those affected by the fire.

"At this time, our concern is for the safety of the school community, the community-at-large, and working to provide continued instruction with as little interruption as possible," the AOP said in a release in part. "We will make any other determinations at a later time pending all circumstances and information."

The community said St. Francis of Assisi School holds a special place in town.

"That's literally the heart of Springfield, like honestly, and to see the amount of people and the community come out and watch this happen and the devastation of it all it was really upsetting," said Angela Jenkins, who lives across the street from the school.

As the neighborhood watched in disbelief, Bishop John McIntyre urged the community to pray for each other.

"Pray for the whole process as we get things back up on the ground and move forward," McIntyre said. "I know how dedicated the people are to the parish and the parish school. It's a tremendous loss."