Newcastle school buses running again after catastrophic fire

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Thursday, November 27, 2008

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After losing half its bus fleet and an estimated $8 million to $10 million in property to a weekend fire, Weston County School District No. 1 will have all 13 school bus routes running today. Meanwhile, Newcastle officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire to the Weston County School District's transportation building.

Newcastle area schools superintendent Brad LaCroix met with a variety of people throughout the weekend in an effort to ensure bus transportation would be available this week for the nearly 400 students who go to school in Newcastle.

Late Friday, fire burned nine buses, three Suburbans, equipment and the transportation building to the ground. Fire officials believe the blaze originated in the boiler room.

"They have not made any official determination at this time," LaCroix said. "Being a transportation area, it had plenty of fuels of its own and once the fire started, it just took off."

Found in the ashes are the remains of buses, a tractor used for grounds maintenance, the school's commodity storage of food, and an after-school program's materials.

While devastating, the loss wasn't enough to close school for the Newcastle students, although LaCroix said the after-school program will be suspended for the week.

Gillette and Casper school districts sent buses to supplement Newcastle's fleet while other neighboring districts offered additional support, LaCroix said.

"As of right now, we've been able to borrow buses. We'll run right at 13 different routes with buses and Suburbans. It will be back to normal," he said.

On Monday, officials ran only out-of-town routes. Students living in town caught rides with parents or neighbors or walked to school.

"Tomorrow we will have the full route system running," LaCroix said on Monday.

LaCroix said he was thankful for the emergency crews responding to the fire, noting that no one was hurt in the fire. Between insurance and the possibility of state help, he was sure they would be constructing a new transportation building soon.

"We're doing OK. We're on the mend," LaCroix said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.