By The Canadian Press

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

Jan 18, 2026 | 11:49 AM

VICTORIA — Sandra Apsassin lives just two minutes away from the Blueberry Community School in northeastern British Columbia, and when she heard that it burned down on the weekend, she cried.

“It’s so sad, so full of hurt,” Apsassin, 62, said in an interview Sunday from her home on the Blueberry River First Nation. “Right now, I’m just trying to remember, trying to collect everything about (the school).”

Apsassin, who is listed as the Elders Coordinator for the First Nation located about 80 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John, said the school served as a culture centre for the community, hosting a variety of programs, including cultural sewing classes.

“It’s a place of education and learning,” Apsassin said.

The Blueberry River First Nation council said in a statement following the early Saturday morning fire that the multi-use building has hosted everything from community gatherings and funerals to adult education and cultural events for more than 30 years.

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Kamloops deserves the full story

10h ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Supporting small businesses in B.C.

13h ago

The Creative Edge

PEARCE: Beyond fear - how schools can support safety

Mar 31, 2026

“This is a tremendous loss for the community, and we will be rebuilding as soon as possible,” the statement said.

It said 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 between the communities.

RCMP said the fire is not considered suspicious, but that it remains under investigation.

The statement from the First Nation’ said that council is thankful nobody was hurt during the fire, but won’t speculate about its cause. It said a finding will be issued in the coming week following a review of the available evidence, which it said includes a high-definition video that captured the start of the fire.

Apsassin said she has seen a video of the fire, and will speak to the school’s staff about rebuilding.

“We are going to get a bigger, better building,” she said.

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

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press