Eastern Kentucky school destroyed in ‘devastating’ fire, officials say
A fire destroyed Dessie Scott School in Wolfe County Thursday night, school district officials said in a Friday social media post.
No one was in the building and district officials were not aware of any injuries, the Wolfe County Board of Education said.
“We are sorry to pass on the news of a fire that happened last night at the Dessie Scott School and gym,” district officials said in a Facebook post.
“The fire was devastating and has resulted in a total loss of the building,” the post said. “We are thankful that nobody was in the building at the time of the travesty and as far as we know no one was injured.”
Among its students are those who live at the Dessie Scott residential treatment facility.
District officials said firefighters contained “the fire in extremely adverse conditions with the ice and temperatures.”
School staff will begin meeting Friday with their partners at the Dessie Scott Campus to make plans “to get our school back on its feet,” school officials said.
“As everyone in this community knows, Dessie Scott Children’s Home is a staple for our county and has a decades long commitment to serving children in need from ... Kentucky and all parts of the United States,” the post said.
School officials could not immediately be reached Friday morning.
‘The children and their homes are safe’
Patty Wilder, an official with the residential facility, told the Herald-Leader Friday morning that only the school building, where 24 children attend, was lost in the fire.
‘The children and their homes are safe,” said Wilder, Chief Operations Officer for Buckhorn Children and Family Services.
The community reached out with compassion, school and facility officials said.
“This unfortunate incident has deeply affected our school community. As we support our students through the loss and help them adjust to a new routine, we ask for continued thoughts and prayers,’ said Wilder.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 11:38 AM.