Repairs continue on the roof of New Milford High School in New Milford, Conn. Tuesday, July 12, 2022. The roof was badly damaged in a fire on July 5 and Mayor Pete Bass has isued a Declaration of Local Disaster Emergency that allows the town to expedite the process of repairing the roof.

NEW MILFORD — Removal of water-damaged drywall and insulation on the second floor of New Milford High School is ongoing, according to a Saturday update from New Milford Mayor Pete Bass.

According to the mayor’s Facebook page, Belfor, which handles recovery and restoration services, detached lockers on the second floor to remove the drywall that had been damaged after the school’s fire on July 5. They removed drywall from behind the cabinetry on the second floor.

In addition to soot cleaning on both floors, more work was done above the ceiling grid ahead of fireproofing encapsulation on the second floor and to prepare for ceiling grid removal. Classroom desks and file cabinets were packed up for a prepared move to the town’s warehouse.

Bass said the town is working “on the paperwork required for the wavier from the state on the current standing seam roof project which will allow us a faster process to bring in a contractor for completion of this phase of the project.”

A meeting is expected this week with Bass, Board of Education chair Wendy Faulenbach and Department of Public Works Director Jack Healy among others, to bring in a new contractor to finish the roof, Bass said.

Bass fired United Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc. in Brookfield, which was performing roof work at the high school, last week after this second fire. The first one occurred in December.

The start of the school year has been pushed back to Sept. 6.

joseph.morelli@hearstmediact.com; @nhrJoeMorelli