Category Archives: Primary / Secondary School

Port Alberni, BC, Canada – Sprinkler system activated for fire at secondary school; No injuries reported

Alberni District Secondary School will reopen Friday following a fire — with the exception of one small room near the source of the blaze that needs added remediation. 

Classes were cancelled Thursday after a fire broke out before the school day started, the Pacific Rim School District said.  The school has about 1,300 students in Grades 8 through 12.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Staff and the few students on site escaped the building without incident and the situation was quickly brought under control, the district said.

The school’s water-suppression system activated immediately and the Port Alberni Fire Department was at the scene within minutes.

Fire Chief Mike Owens said the fire appears to have started in a classroom space adjacent to the school’s auto mechanics area.

Owens said the fire damage was confined to the classroom of origin.

“A lot of the fire was knocked down by the sprinkler system, so there was quite a bit of water involved,” he said.

He said the school is a concrete structure, so it handled the water better than a wooden building would have.

Fire investigators remained on scene through Thursday morning.

The building was closed for the remainder of the day to allow for cleanup.

Port Alberni firefighters received assistance at the fire from the Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department, the Beaver Creek Volunteer Fire Department and the Cherry Creek Fire Department.

The school district said it was “deeply grateful” for the quick response from the fire departments, “as well as the quick actions of our staff in ensuring everyone’s safety and minimizing damage.”

Chapin, SC – Sprinkler system contains dryer fire at high school; No injuries reported

Dutch Fork Fire Rescue units responded to Spring Hill High School Tuesday after a dryer caught fire.

According to the school, the fire happened around 10 a.m. when a dryer in the kitchen area caught fire and activated the sprinkler system.

Firefighters said the fire was contained in the dryer at the back of the school.

Administrators at the school confirmed all students and staff were evacuated and they are accounted for.

No injuries were reported.

Units are working on removing the dryer and ventilating the building.

Glenview, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school woodshop

Classes at a suburban Glenview high school were canceled Monday and students and staff were sent home after a fire alarm triggered a sprinkler system to be set off in the building, according to an announcement.

About 9:23 a.m., fire alarms were triggered near the woodshop of Glenbrook South High School, leading the building’s fire suppression and sprinkler system to be activated, the school posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

While the school initially said that students and staff were being allowed back into the building after being evacuated, it later said students would be dismissed after a “large amount of water” in the building had impacted school events.

“School is canceled for the rest of the day and students will be dismissed using a tiered system,” the school said.

In a 11:16 a.m. Facebook post, the school confirmed that all students had been dismissed.

According to the school, Monday morning’s fire alarm took place during “School Emergency Preparedness Week.”

No further details surrounding the circumstances of the incident were released. Glenbrook South High School did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment.

Warner Robins, GA – Sprinkler system activated for overnight arson fire at high school

Authorities are investigating vandalism after a suspect broke into Warner Robins High School and started a small fire.

According to the Houston School District, Warner Robins Hih School Principal Chris McCook notified parents of the incident by phone and email and said it happened overnight.

He said at around 12:30 a.m. a person broke into the school and started a small fire in the multi-purpose room, immediately setting off the overhead sprinkler system and alerting the fire department.

McCook told parents the fire was contained, did minimal damage to the building and thanked fire crews for promptly responding.

“I am grateful to the fire department for their quick response and our maintenance staff who worked during the night to make sure the school was ready for students to arrive this morning,” said McCook. “Law enforcement has also been on campus to gather evidence necessary to find the individual responsible.”

WGXA has reached out to the Warner Robins Police Department and has yet to hear back.

Salisbury, MD – Sprinkler system activated for accidental fire at middle school

Salisbury Fire officials were called to Wicomico Middle School early Saturday morning for an automatic fire alarm. Officials say there was a smoke alarm that was activated and a sprinkler system which activated as well.

State Fire Marshal investigation found the fire was accidental and began in a janitorial closet after the spontaneous combustion of rags used for cleaning.

Damage was estimated at about $2000.

Sooke, BC, Canada – Fire at middle school extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes resumed Wednesday (Dec. 13) despite a small fire Tuesday evening at Journey Middle School.

The Sooke Fire Rescue was called out for a fire in a utility room during the evening band concert. All students, staff and community members were safely evacuated from the building when the fire alarm sounded and no one was injured, School District 62 said in a news release.

The fire was extinguished by the school’s sprinkler system. Staff and firefighters worked together to clean up the water from the sprinkler system and the systems were reset.

“Thank you to everyone involved in safely evacuating the school,” the statement reads. “We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Sooke Fire Department and the SD62 staff who worked well into the night to ensure the school could open this morning.”

Allison Park, PA – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school

A fire broke out in a Hampton High School classroom early Friday morning.

According to a district spokesman, a small fire broke out in one of the science rooms, activating the fire alarm and sprinkler system.

First responders were called to the building, located at 2929 McCully Road, just before 5 a.m.

Channel 11′s Lonni Rivera is at the scene. She noticed fans outside the school, and it appears as though the building is being ventilated.

The sprinkler system was only activated in the area where the fire occurred and there was no extensive damage to any other classrooms, according to the district.

Students had the day off due to a scheduled professional development day for teachers and staff. That is being relocated to Hampton Middle School.

The district plans to clean up and prepare for students to return on Monday.

South Ogden, UT – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at high school

A student has been identified as starting a fire inside a South Ogden Junior High School bathroom early Monday, forcing an early dismissal from the school.

The incident was reported at approximately 11 a.m., with video showing a small fire in a bathroom as students looked on and filmed it with their phones.

Officials with the South Ogden City Fire Department reported the fire alarm and sprinkler system were triggered by a hand towel dispenser on fire in the North part of the building.

The fire was kept under control by the sprinklers but firefighters had to use a water extinguisher to completely put out the blaze.

Weber School District officials said Tuesday they have identified the student who started the fire and that they may now face criminal charges and disciplinary actions from the school.

Damage to the school was contained to the bathroom, mostly from the sprinkler system being active, officials explained.

School officials informed parents that their students were being dismissed early due to the fire.

Bemidji, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school

Bemidji Firefighters are crediting a sprinkler system for helping contain a fire at the Bemidji High School.

The fire department was dispatched to Bemidji High school just after 11:30 p.m. on Friday, October 20, for a report of a smoke alarm activation.

As crews entered the building and searched for the cause of the alarm, they found a smoke-filled hallway with water flowing on the south side of the building. Using a thermal imaging camera and water can extinguisher, firefighters were able to extinguish a fire in a custodian closet.

Firefighters were on the scene for approximately three hours and it took 14 firefighters to help with water removal and clean up. The room where the fire started suffered moderate smoke and water damage, while adjacent classrooms and hallways sustained water damage.

The fire is under investigation, but appears to be electrical in nature.

Bemidji Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Bemidji Area Schools, Bemidji Police Department, Bemidji Ambulance Service and Minnesota State Fire Marshal.

Riviera Beach, FL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at elementary school; No injuries reported

An overheated kiln in an art room at Lincoln Elementary School set off a fire sprinkler in the classroom just as students lined up for dismissal, the School District of Palm Beach County said.

All students and staff were evacuated safely out of the building, while Riviera Beach Fire Rescue responded and gave the all clear, the district said in a message to parents.

The evacuation delayed dismissal by up to 20 minutes and some some classrooms sustained water damage, this district said.

As a result, the school’s open house that was scheduled for Wednesday evening has been postponed.

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