Cleanup and repair efforts are underway at the site of an arson fire at Glacier High School.

Extensive damage was caused Tuesday morning when someone set fire to the pole-vaulting mat at the school track.

“Our maintenance guys came in yesterday and cleaned up the whole area,” Glacier Activities Director Mark Dennehy said Thursday. “They tried to power-wash the concrete pad and uncovered the concrete’s rippled a little bit, some of the concrete has cracked off and it’s stained all over.”

Some damaged fencing was removed in preparation for repairs and track coaches are gathering prices on the pads and other items that must be replaced. Repairs of the runway surface are also being pursued.

“We have a track installer in the valley who’s supposed to be coming by and giving us a bid or seeing if he can even do it,” Dennehy said. “It’s a little different process than the local installer does.”

He said the school may have to go back to Atlas Track, the company that initially installed the surface.

In the meantime, Dennehy said the school has received excellent support from other schools, including Flathead High School, which is allowing Glacier pole vaulters to practice at Legends Stadium.

“It’s been going well, they practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Dennehy said. “Whitefish also offered to have us use some of their older pits because they just replaced them, but our area is just damaged so much, like the plant box, that we can’t use their stuff.”

Insurance adjusters have surveyed the damage and were very surprised by its extent, Dennehy said. It was their go-ahead that allowed the cleanup to proceed.

Damage from the fire is estimated at up to $50,000.

Now the focus has turned to locating the culprit or culprits behind the fire.

“We’ve had a couple leads with the reward out there and we’ve tracked down a couple of things, but there’s nothing quite yet to report on,” Dennehy said.

The Kalispell school district and Crimestoppers are offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the culprit or culprits.

Anyone with information on the arson can contact Flathead Crimestoppers at 752-8477 or Dennehy at 758-8620.