Richmond elementary school damaged in fire caused by lightning

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Class was cancelled Tuesday, Aug. 27 at Cardinal Elementary School after it was damaged by a fire caused by a lightning strike during a storm on Monday, Aug 26.

According to the Richmond Police Department, Richmond Fire Department crews arrived just before 7 p.m., with 15 units responding to a small fire on the building’s roof. Crews were quickly able to get the fire under control and no one was injured.

A Cardinal Elementary employee known as “Ms. J” told 8News she got to the school Tuesday morning and saw that it was closed.

“I was amazed. I’m like, ‘No cars, no teachers. What’s going on?’ As long as everybody was safe and no harm was done to anybody, we can repair any damage,” she said.

A spokesperson for Richmond Public School (RPS) said the fire was confined to the second and third grade corridors on the first and second floors, but it left behind a hole in the roof and water damage inside.

“We got some contractors in last night to clear out a lot of the debris and the water,” said RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. “So, everything is going as it should.”

The Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation has started a fundraiser for the school.

“We’re in the recovery phase, you know. We’re going to do everything we can to support Richmond Public Schools in the endeavor to ensure that every child gets back to school and in the learning environment,” said Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.

According to school officials, class at Cardinal is cancelled for the rest of the week and will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

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