School fire: Several local fire companies helped fight a Rhode Island school blaze.

Richmond, R.I. — An independent school in Richmond will be looking for a temporary location to hold classes in the upcoming school year after a massive fire gutted the building on Sunday.

About 250 firefighters from 22 departments, including several from southeastern Connecticut, helped battle the blaze at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School. The fire was first reported about 8 a.m. and continued to burn throughout the day. The Providence Journal reported that among the departments responding were those from North Stonington, Griswold, Voluntown and Wequetequock.

According to the North Stonington Volunteer Fire Company’s Facebook page, the department responded to the call for mutual aid around 11:15 a.m., and brought their tanker to assist in fighting the blaze. The tanker remained on the scene past 7:30 p.m. Sunday and had provided more than 85,000 gallons of water. The fire company also sent an engine to Ashaway to cover its station, while the Ashaway Volunteer Fire Fire Association was at the fire.

The Voluntown Volunteer Fire Company also provided mutual aid assistance, according to a posting on the company’s Facebook page, and the Wequetequock Fire Department responded to the call around 10:30 a.m.

Ed Dennett, chief of the Wequetequock Fire Department, said his department mainly provided tanker assistance shuttling water among the more than 20 tankers that were on the scene.

“It’s just neighbors helping neighbors, like they do for us,” said Dennett, adding that it is not uncommon for the departments to assist each other across state lines.

Pawcatuck Fire Chief Kevin Burns said his department sent a truck to cover the Hope Valley, R.I., station.

No injuries were reported fighting the fire, despite a portion of the roof of the one-story building collapsing at the height of the blaze.

A school official says Meadowbrook Waldorf serves about 145 children from preschool to eighth grade.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but officials say it’s possible that severe electrical storms reported in the area on Saturday evening may have played a role.

Among the departments responding were those from North Stonington, Griswold, Voluntown and Wequetequock.