Burnt debris fill the stairwell and the sky can be seen in the absence of a roof on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a blaze the previous night at the former Emerson High School in Gary. The shuttered school is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Burnt debris fill the stairwell and the sky can be seen in the absence of a roof on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a blaze the previous night at the former Emerson High School in Gary. The shuttered school is on the National Register of Historic Places. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

Photos: Ralph Waldo Emerson High School missing its roof after Saturday night fire

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Firefighters from the Gary, Munster and Merrillville fire departments extinguished a blaze that started Saturday night at Ralph Waldo Emerson High School with no injuries. Opened in 1909, the school's enrollment declined over time and it eventually closed in 2008. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Burnt debris fill the stairwell and the sky can be seen in the absence of a roof on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a blaze the previous night at the former Emerson High School in Gary. The shuttered school is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Burnt debris fill the stairwell and the sky can be seen in the absence of a roof on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a blaze the previous night at the former Emerson High School in Gary. The shuttered school is on the National Register of Historic Places. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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Former Emerson High School students Ebony Nash, left, and her brother Rodney Nash stand outside the shell of the abandoned school on Dec. 10, 2023, after a fire swept through the shuttered building the previous night.

Former Emerson High School students Ebony Nash, left, and her brother Rodney Nash stand outside the shell of the abandoned school on Dec. 10, 2023, after a fire swept through the shuttered building the previous night. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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An Emerson School sign can be seen among rubble on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a Saturday night fire at the abandoned Gary school. The school's enrollment had declined over time and it was closed in 2008.

An Emerson School sign can be seen among rubble on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a Saturday night fire at the abandoned Gary school. The school's enrollment had declined over time and it was closed in 2008. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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Burnt wood from a collapsed ceiling is seen in the hallway at the former Emerson High School on Dec. 3, 2023, after a blaze swept through the historic building the previous night.

Burnt wood from a collapsed ceiling is seen in the hallway at the former Emerson High School on Dec. 3, 2023, after a blaze swept through the historic building the previous night. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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Michigan City resident and former Gary teacher Bruce Stahl takes photos of the aftermath of a Saturday night fire at the abandoned Emerson High School in Gary on Dec. 10, 2023.

Michigan City resident and former Gary teacher Bruce Stahl takes photos of the aftermath of a Saturday night fire at the abandoned Emerson High School in Gary on Dec. 10, 2023. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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Burnt wood can be seen through a blown-out window on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a fire the previous night at the former Emerson High School in Gary.

Burnt wood can be seen through a blown-out window on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a fire the previous night at the former Emerson High School in Gary. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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Smoke drifts up from smoldering wood through a hollowed-out upper floor at the former Emerson High School on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a fire at the abandoned school in Gary.

Smoke drifts up from smoldering wood through a hollowed-out upper floor at the former Emerson High School on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a fire at the abandoned school in Gary. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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A scorched page from a math book sits in leaves outside Emerson High School on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a fire at the building the previous night. The school's enrollment had declined over time and it closed in 2008.

A scorched page from a math book sits in leaves outside Emerson High School on Dec. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of a fire at the building the previous night. The school's enrollment had declined over time and it closed in 2008. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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Former Emerson High School students Rodney Nash, left, and his sister, Ebony Nash, talk about their time at the school. The school's enrollment declined over time and it closed in 2008.

Former Emerson High School students Rodney Nash, left, and his sister, Ebony Nash, talk about their time at the school. The school's enrollment declined over time and it closed in 2008. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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The facade of the former Emerson High School building stands tall on Dec. 10, 2023, after a fire swept through the abandoned school the previous night. The shuttered Gary school is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The facade of the former Emerson High School building stands tall on Dec. 10, 2023, after a fire swept through the abandoned school the previous night. The shuttered Gary school is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

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