BROOMFIELD, Colo. — A December fire that shut down Thunder Vista P-8 in Broomfield and displaced hundreds of students may be tied to building problems the school district had already warned about in court. Lawsuit filings show Adams 12 Five Star Schools had accused the school’s architect and contractor of failing to properly protect underground utilities from shifting soil weeks before the fire.
The fire broke out Dec. 27 in a crawl space beneath the school while the building was empty for winter break. No one was injured, but smoke damage and infrastructure concerns forced the school to close for the remainder of the academic year.
Superintendent Chris Gdowski said experts investigating the fire have identified soil movement beneath the building as the underlying cause. An official fire-cause report is expected, he said, but he says preliminary findings have already pointed to damage to underground electrical systems…