Saturday morning's fire razed the administration office and six classrooms in the oldest building on the historic campus. Two nearby portables were scorched.

Authorities said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, although they said there were signs of vandalism that might suggest arson. Damage to the structure was estimated at $250,000.

Principal Erik Burkman said the school is in pretty good shape considering everything that has happened.

"The big story is all the volunteers," he said. "It's just amazing. I am very grateful."

About 100 students who lost their classrooms to the fire will be moved to various open spaces on campus, officials said, while some will end up sharing rooms with other classes. State Department of Education officials said they were hoping to bring in portable classrooms this summer.

Burkman estimated that 50 to 100 people showed up to pitch in yesterday, including a team of landscape pros from the Hyatt Regency Kaua'i Resort & Spa in Po'ipu, which trimmed singed bushes and prepared the scorched soil for planting.

"They did an unreal job," the principal said. "You can't even believe we even had the fire — except for the missing building."

Donations also poured in. The Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative donated $1,000 and a bunch of office supplies. The Rotary Club of Po'ipu offered school supplies. Food for the workers was donated by Pizza Hut, Kaua'i Christian Fellowship Church and Kalaheo Missionary Church.

"This is a small community that rallies together in times of crisis," said Robyn Herbig, the school's parent community networking coordinator.

Pia and Larry Gregorio, parents of a third-grader, were among the volunteers on campus yesterday.

"It was shocking what happened," said Pia Gregorio. "It's just really sad and really tragic. We wanted to help."

Established in 1904 in neighboring Lawa'i Valley, Kalaheo moved to its present location in 1924. Students were moved to other quarters during World War II, when the school was used as a military hospital.

Retiree Herb Brun attended Kalaheo in those days, and he, too, felt a wave of sadness when he heard about the fire.

"I was just blown away," he said. "It's a great place, a great school. It's shocking. It's the talk of the town."

Nine-year-old Zack Silva, a Kalaheo fourth-grader and son of Kalaheo teacher Linda Silva, said the fire made him feel "down in the dumps."

Bob Gilmore, a Kalaheo teacher since 1968, said yesterday's teamwork on campus was reminiscent of the effort put forth after Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which destroyed one school building.

"People were bringing more and more and more. Parents just wanted to do something — and they did. We had so much help, it was unbelievable," he said.

Gilmore said he ran into scores of former students and parents who came to campus to commiserate. He said he had to keep reminding himself — and others — that it was just a building, and nobody got hurt. The community outpouring, he said, turned "a horrible thing into a positive."