Ontario education minister assesses school safety after Wingham student set on fire

Ontario’s education minister says he is continuing to assess safety in schools following a horrific incident this week at a southwestern Ontario high school involving a person on fire.

Provincial police say first responders rushed to F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham, Ont., on Tuesday. The victim is currently in critical but stable condition.

The devastating incident prompted police to issue an alert asking the public not to distribute video of the incident, while school board officials shut down the school until further notice.

Huron County OPP said one person suffered life-threatening injuries but remains in stable condition after emergency crews responded to reports of an individual on fire at a North Huron high school.

Police say the incident happened Tuesday at around 8 a.m. Authorities evacuated the building, and students and staff were relocated to another facility. The Avon Maitland District School Board confirmed to CHCH News that a person was injured.

“We are assessing the damage that the fire caused in order to determine when students and staff can return to the school,” the board said in a statement, adding that mental health support is being offered to both staff and students.

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Neither the school board or investigators have said what led up to the incident. However, OPP followed up with CHCH, saying, “We had asked the public to discontinue sharing any videos or photos as they only harm those involved further.”

Today, Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra addressed the broader issue of school safety.

“I’m going to continue to look at this,” Calandra said. “It’s not just about the community resource officers coming back into the school, it’s about restoring respect and responsibility that comes with that. Consequences for actions that happen within a school. I hear this over and over and over.”

Since September 2024, the Ministry of Education has been enforcing an “out of sight” cellphone policy in schools, restricting social media access and the usage of devices to improve classroom performance.

Following the OPP’s call to stop the distribution of the video tied to the fire in Wingham, Ont., Calandra was asked if he intends to review the province’s policy.

“It was something that was brought up with the Ministry of Education, with all of us, and I am looking at further actions with respect to where cellphones should be used and should they even be brought to our schools. We are looking at that going forward,” said Calandra.

The Avon Maitland District School Board has informed CHCH News that while those impacted are continuing to receive support, students and faculty are expected to return to F.E. Madill Secondary School sometime next week.

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