Lakewood Elementary School fire damage exceeds $500,000
Published 9:20 pm Sunday, September 14, 2008
LAKEWOOD — Textbooks, desks and chairs survived. Computers, carpet and drywall did not.
Weeks after contractors began sifting through the charred remains of four classrooms at Lakewood Elementary School, they realized the damage from a July 23 arson was more extensive than they originally thought. Smoke seeped into walls and damaged insulation, ceiling tiles, windows and doors.
Initial damage estimates of $200,000 have climbed to more than $500,000, said Fred Owyen, executive director of operations for the Lakewood School District. Insurance is expected to cover all but a $5,000 deductible, he said.
Contractors from BELFOR Property Restoration in Seattle rebuilt the damaged rooms and helped school officials open them a week ahead of schedule on Sept. 2, the first day of school.
Second-grade teachers Liza Yarnell and Julie Strittmatter moved back into the two most damaged rooms just days before school.
The classrooms aren’t complete. They’re in need of a little paint and are missing a dividing wall and some materials, but Yarnell said she was thrilled to start the school year in her room and not in a portable. Yarnell and Strittmatter developed camping-themed lessons to make the experience fun for their students.
“We wanted to make sure the kids felt like it was safe and it’d be a fun adventure,” she said. “Even though we were feeling a little misplaced, we didn’t want them to feel that way.”
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.
