Nine classrooms, four restrooms, the kitchen and seven storage rooms were destroyed in a fire that erupted at the school on Monday morning before schooling started for the day. The devastating fire resulted in grade 12 preliminary examinations being pushed back. Close to 60 matrics were meant to write the Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy Paper that day, but now await information on the way forward from the department’s district office.

While the cause of the fire is unknown at this stage, the department alleges the community planned a shutdown in Britstown on Monday, alluding to the involvement of foul play in the fire. The province's schools have been ravaged by fires in recent years, something which is of concern to the department.

The fire at Theron High School occurs nearly a year after the Sutherland High School was partially ruined, with seven classrooms, an admin block, staff room and the school hall being destroyed. In May 2018, 11 classrooms at the Sonskyn Intermediate School in Marydale were burned. It is yet to be determined if any arrests have been made in connection with previous fires.

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