Student-caused fire destroyed more than the snack shack

The snack shack, still burnt and in disrepair, remains closed off by tall fences since April’s fire.

Although many students have forgotten about the fire, coaches Hank Roberts and Brad Comstock have struggled to get their teams, football and girls’ soccer, ready for this year, as many of their teams’ equipments were damaged.

“Everything was destroyed,” Roberts, who coaches both football teams, said. “All of our footballs, practice jerseys, shirts, pants, socks were destroyed.”

Roberts also mentioned the loss of approximately 200 pairs of practice pants and knee pads, an endzone camera, and all of the team’s Gatorade kept inside the P.E. storage room.

Though the girls’ soccer team didn’t lose as much compared to football, there was enough smoke damage done to the supplies for Comstock to need to throw out all of the team’s uniforms.

Both teams have gotten their spoiled gear replaced however. According to Roberts, the 49ers donated over $45,700 to pay for the damaged material in time for their season, which started at the beginning of the school year.

Roberts called the donation that was able to cover the damages “a miracle and a blessing.”

“I cannot say enough good things about the 49ers,” he said.

Comstock, whose season starts in winter, has already received new uniforms from the school’s insurance, but he hasn’t yet confirmed if anything else needs replacing. He is still “figuring things out” for this season.

Though neither the school nor the district announced the source, the Santa Clara Fire Department has confirmed that the fire was caused by students and not of natural occurrence. Because the accused are minors, the SCFD cannot explain or describe the fire any further.

Principal Gregory Shelby estimates that the snack shack will most likely be completely rebuilt by spring 2017.

Because the damage was more extensive than originally thought, the total cost of rebuilding is still being finalized by insurance adjusters.

[But] we will make sure it is rebuilt,” Shelby said.