Fire destroys school in small eastern Washington town

ALMIRA, Wash. (AP) — A fire has destroyed a school in an eastern Washington town. Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers says the fire at Almira Elementary and Middle School started around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. He says classes and after school activities had been canceled because of a power outage so no one was inside. The Spokesman-Review reports no one was injured. Lincoln County Fire District Chief Denny Pinar says when he arrived he saw flames in the elementary school and that while firefighters tried for hours to stop the fire it moved into the adjoining administration building and the school gym. He says the building is a total loss. Students will move to remote learning for the next week.