Blueberry River First Nation school fire caused ‘tremendous loss’ to community

VICTORIA — Leaders of the Blueberry River First Nation in northeastern B.C. say the community has suffered a “tremendous loss” after a Saturday morning fire destroyed a local school, but they are also planning to rebuild it as soon as possible.

A statement from the First Nation’s council says that the multi-use Blueberry Community School has hosted everything from community gatherings and funerals to adult education and cultural events for more than 30 years.

It says that the building could not be saved, because of a lack of water, adding that the First Nation has no agreement with the City of Fort St. John for firefighting due to the distance.

The statement says that council is thankful nobody was hurt during the fire, but won’t speculate about its cause with a finding to be issued in the coming week following review of the available evidence, including a high-definition video that captured the start of the fire.

RCMP says in its statement that the fire is not considered suspicious, but remains under investigation.

The Blueberry River First Nation is located about 80 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press