Eight schools were closed or dismissed early today.

Students at Apex Elementary, Apex Middle, Apex High, Baucom Elementary and Olive Chapel Elementary will make up today's classes on Nov. 22, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Students at two year-round schools -- Turner Creek Elementary and Lufkin Road Middle -- will have to attend classes on a Saturday, but the date has not been chosen yet. School officials say it definitely won't be tomorrow.

It's uncertain whether students at Green Hope High School will need to make up today. Classes started at 8:05 a.m. before students were dismissed at 9:35 a.m. so the school could be used as an emergency shelter.

No decision has been made yet when the schools will reopen.

Two Apex schools -- Salem Elementary and Salem Middle School -- opened without bus transportation, and attendance was down. Salem Elementary has 232 students today, compared to the normal attendance of 774.

"We're trying to provide a sense of normalcy to the students," said Savon Willard, principal of Salem Elementary.

Schools outside Apex were also affected by the school district's decision to cancel any bus routes originating from Apex. Students from Apex going to schools in Cary and other communities had to provide their own transportation.

Three high school football games scheduled for tonight have been postponed because of the fire. Green Hope High will play at Fuquay-Varina and Middle Creek will play at Cary on Monday at 7 p.m. Athens Drive's game at Apex has been rescheduled 7 p.m. Monday.

Also reschedule for 7 p.m. Monday are games for Rocky Mount at SouthWest Edgecombe, Southeast Raleigh at Garner and Wakefield at Leesville Road.