Category Archives: Primary / Secondary School

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Beaumont, TX – Fire at elementary school put out by single sprinkler

A small fire was put out by the sprinkler system at the Fletcher Elementary campus Friday morning. The fire was reported around 6 a.m. at the campus located at 1055 Ave. F after a custodian found smoke in the building and water from a sprinkler.

Beaumont Fire Rescue Captain Brad Penisson told 12News the fire was out before firefighters arrived. It appears an extension cord overheated and caught a cardboard box on fire in one of the offices. The fire activated a sprinkler head which put out the fire.

The fire was contained to the office, but there is smoke throughout the building and water in a large area. Teachers are telling parents who arrive with students that there will be no classes today at Fletcher.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Des Moines, IA – Single sprinkler extinguishes overnight fire at East High School

Firefighters responding to East High School in Des Moines found a single fire sprinkler had extinguished a fire inside the school. Crews were called to 815 East 13th Street just before midnight on Monday. They found a pressure washer consumed by fire, but the fire did not spread. Crews said the fire sprinkler was set off when temperatures of about 155 degrees were reached. No injuries were reported. Damage is believed to be limited to around $1,000.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Colleyville, TX – Fire at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system

The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School district has determined that classes will be canceled at a Colleyville school Friday after a small fire. District officials tell NBC 5 the fire was contained to a classroom in the second grade wing of Bransford Elementary School in the 600 Block of Glade Road in Colleyville.

The school will be closed Friday so crews can continue to clean and assess the damage. The sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading and extinguished it, according to Heather Willden with the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Oswego, IL – Sprinkler system controls fire caused by high school science experiment

The Oswego Fire Protection District was called to Oswego East High School on a waterflow alarm this morning after a science experiment involving a bunsen burner and alcohol caused a small fire.  The fire caused the system sprinkler to activate and the school was evacuated.

Crews found no fire upon arrival and the water sprinkler system was shut down. The building alarm was going off and several attempts to reset the alarm were unsuccessful. The students were out of the building for approximately 50 minutes while attempts to reset the alarm were unsuccessful. The OFPD found the alarm system to have a mechanical issue. This was the cause for the extended time for the staff and students being out of the building for such a long period of time.   After the alarm problem was identified and corrected the students and staff were allowed to resume the normal school day.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

North East, MD – High school has second sprinkler save in six weeks; Dryer fire extinguished

A commercial dryer caught fire in a Rising Sun High School laundry room on Wednesday night, sending dozens of firefighters and several pieces of equipment to the scene, according to school officials.  The small fire in the malfunctioning dryer was quickly extinguished by a sprinkler head above the appliance, school officials said, adding that it also activated a smoke alarm. The fire call occurred about 9 p.m.

The school was open on Thursday for a regular schedule, thanks to cleanup and ventilation efforts.  There was no fire or water damage to the school at 100 Tiger Drive, off Route 272, in Calvert, school officials said. The sprinkler, however, did leave water on the hallway floor near the laundry room, which is located at the north end of the building.

Firefighters were sweeping that standing water out a back door on Wednesday night. They also were running industrial fans to ventilate the smoke inside the building.  A Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office investigator arrived late Wednesday night and started an investigation to determine how the dryer fire started.

The dryer fire on Wednesday night has no connection to an electrical system fire in March, which was also contained by the school’s automatic sprinkler system.

(BLOG NOTE: Media report incorrectly stated that smoke caused the sprinkler to activate. Sprinklers are heat activated. Only the intense heat from a potentially damaging and deadly fire can cause this type of sprinkler system to operate)

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Midlothian, VA – Fire in storage closet at high school extinguished by sprinkler

Fire broke out Wednesday night at Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, but Chesterfield authorities said the school’s sprinkler system was able to put it out. According to authorities at the scene, a pallet inside a storage closet caught fire, but a sprinkler in the closet was able to put out the fire.

Chesterfield Fire crews reported to the scene at the new high school at 1300 Kelly Green Lane due to a report of a small fire. The cause is under investigation, but the school day will go on as planned on Thursday.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Elmhurst, IL – Fire in middle school science lab doused by sprinkler system

A “chemical reaction” caused a small fire in a science classroom at a west suburban middle school Wednesday morning, causing a lot of smoke, but no injuries.

The Elmhurst Fire Department was called about 9:45 a.m. to an activated fire alarm at Sandburg Middle School at 345 E. St. Charles Rd., a statement from the department said.

Firefighters found “heavy smoke coming from a science classroom located on the lower level,” though the fire had already been doused by the school’s sprinkler system, the statement said.

All students and staff were evacuated from the building as firefighters ventilated the area, replaced a sprinkler head and cleaned up.

A fire department investigation showed a chemical reaction had triggered the fire, though no students were present in the classroom at the time.  No injuries were reported.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Minneapolis, MN – Overnight fire in high school chemistry lab contained by sprinkler system

Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis is expected to open again Friday after a fire early Thursday morning caused damage to parts of the building. The fire broke out just after 2 a.m. in a chemistry lab. School district officials say no injuries were reported.

With help from the sprinkler system, the fire was contained to one classroom. The closure affects all Patrick Henry events, including community education classes, athletic events and extracurricular activities. All other district schools will remain open. Officials also asked Patrick Henry staff members not to report to work Thursday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

North East, MD – Overnight fire at high school contained to mechanical room by sprinkler system

**NO MEDIA COVERAGE – State Fire Marshal Report** — On March 18, 2015 around 2:48 am, the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested for a fire at Rising Sun High School. Rising Sun High is a two story, brick educational facility located at 100 Tiger Drive in Rising Sun of Cecil County.  Approximately 30 firefighters from Rising Sun, Northeast and Oxford (PA) responded and extinguished the fire within 20 minutes. Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire to have originated in the mechanical room of the school due to an electrical malfunction. The high school was protected by a working fire alarm which alerted the local fire departments quickly. The sprinkler system was also activated, which contained the fire to the mechanical room. There was no structure damage due to the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Lebanon, OH – Sprinkler activates, extinguishes fire at high school

At 6:51 a.m., Lebanon firefighters were called to the high school, 1916 Drake Road, on reports of a fire in the kitchen, said Capt. Steve Oughterson. A 17-year-old girl was taken to Bethesda Medical Center at Arrow Springs in Lebanon and was released within an hour, said Lebanon Fire Chief Perry Gerome.

The fire happened inside a small appliance in the kitchen as a result of a cooking accident. A sprinkler was activated and the fire was extinguished before crews arrived, the chief said. Gerome said the fire was ruled accidental and caused about $200 in damages.

School officials and the Warren County Health Department were notified and responded to assess the situation, according to Gerome. The small fire caused one event to be canceled and another postponed at the high school until all systems could be reset and placed back in service.