Northern Cheyenne school closed after fire

An elementary school on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana has canceled classes until further notice after a fire destroyed the counseling office on Sunday night.

The fire at the Lame Deer Elementary was confined to the office of Sharon Bearcomesout, the guidance and drug and alcohol counselor. But much of the school smells like smoke and some parts suffered smoke damage.

The blaze could have been worse because the school, which was built in 1956, lacks a sprinkler system. "If this door would have been open, the whole building would have been gone," superintendent Dan Lantis told The Billings Gazette.

Bearcomesout is most concerned about the at-risk students she met with on a regular basis. "I'm more worried about my kids than any of my stuff," she said.

Authorities believe the fire was started by a computer printer.

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Lame Deer school counseling office burns (The Billings Gazette 2/10)