Community takes care of firefighters, feel loss of old Bedford Middle School

BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) –While families slept in the comfort of their home, fire crews responded to a fire at the Bedford Middle School at about 3 a.m. this morning.

Community members dropped off snacks and food this morning at the scene to show support and gratitude for the fire crew’s effort and sacrifice.

Ashley Diggs and her son Cameron Simmons picked up sandwiches and hot teas for the firefighters. Diggs said she received a call from her mother around 6 a.m. about the fire and decided that she will reach out to local restaurants for donations.

McDonald’s restaurant in Bedford donated more than 50 sandwiches, she said. They delivered the meals, in addition to cases of water.

Sharon Jones, activity director, and Tom Bland, and dietary director at the Elk Holmes dropped off water and pastries.

“I came through this morning and saw how hard they were working and wanted to just make sure they knew we were here to help them to support them,” Bland said.

This building constructed in the mid-1930s stood as a visible reminder of Bedford’s history for residents and visitors alike.

When a neighborhood’s physical characteristics may get replaced with new buildings and streets, Diggs said losing such the school to the fire is difficult.

“People don’t want to see history go down like this,” she said.

While the school does not compare to the Norte Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was nearly destroyed in a fire in 2019, the building and the stories it carries matters to the community.

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