Fire ravages 19th century high school building in Merced County. Here’s what we know

A historical building in Merced County sustained major damage Monday morning after a fire broke out in the structure, according to fire officials.

At about 6:30 a.m., City of Merced firefighter responded to a fire at the historic Merced County High School building located at 2125 M Street, according to Deputy Fire Chief Tom England. The first firefighters on the scene saw smoke coming from windows. About 10 minutes after they arrived, flames could be seen coming from all of the structures windows and the interior was fully involved, England said.

Fire officials said five city engines, a ladder truck, as well as mutual aid from Merced County, including two engines and a ladder responded to the fire. In total, about 39 fire personnel responded to the blaze. England said fire crews initially attacked the fire from the interior for a short time but due to safety issues involving the age of the structure and unknown contents, firefighters withdrew and went on the defensive.

“It was originally built in 1897 as the first Merced County High School, and later transitioned to the Merced County Library,” said England.

Fire officials said the building has been boarded up and vacant since the 1970s.

There were no reports of injuries related to the fire.

“The cause is still under investigation. We have no idea how the fire actually started,” said England.

A section of M Street from 21st Street to 23rd Street and parts of N Street and West 22nd Street were closed as crews continued to work on scene. Merced police said the sections of roadways were expected to remain closed until about 12 p.m..

According to the National Register of Historic Places in Merced County, the building was built in 1897 and was the first building constructed as a high school in the county. It was designed by Louis Starwood Stone in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and the building’s interior was remodeled for use by the Merced County Library in 1921 before being used for county offices in 1953.

The County of Merced released a statement Monday afternoon addressing the fire at the historic building.

“Merced County is saddened by the fire this morning at the historic Merced County High School building, which dates to 1897. This building served as a place of learning for decades as both a school and later a library until its closure,” the statement read.

The statement went on to say “we will soon be evaluating the building to determine our best long-term course of action. In the interim, we kindly ask the public to stay offsite while the fire is investigated and the area is secured.”

This story was originally published December 2, 2024 at 2:24 PM.