Category Archives: Primary / Secondary School

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Baton Rouge, LA – Sprinklers keep arson fire at high school from spreading

Two boys were arrested Tuesday on accusations of setting a fire at Glen Oaks Senior High School, which came days after a similar incident, District Six Fire Chief Joel Hancock said. The boys, a 13-year-old and 11-year-old, were arrested around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in a fire at the flooded high school determined to have been deliberately set, according to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities responded to a similar incident Friday night, also determined arson, however fire investigators do not believe the juveniles in custody are also responsible for the first incident, said Baton Rouge Fire Department spokesman Curt Monte. BRFD investigators assisted District Six Fire Department Tuesday night. The two juveniles are accused of going into the shuttered school and setting about five damaged computers on fire, Hancock said Wednesday morning. Witnesses saw the boys running from the school after the fire had started, Hancock said.

The boys have been booked into juvenile detention on counts of simple arson, criminal trespassing and unauthorized entry, Monte said.  The flames caused little damage, Hancock said, but investigators determined arson was the cause. The Friday night fire at the school was also set to some old computers, Hancock said.  Adonica Duggan, a spokeswoman for the schools, said the fire on Friday triggered the school’s sprinkler system and there’s concern about water and smoke damage. She said she’s still gathering details about what additional damage might have resulted from Tuesday’s fire.

Representatives of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system and Aramark, the private company that maintains school buildings, were at Glen Oaks Senior High School at 6650 Cedar Drive Wednesday morning to assess the damage. They congregated in the school’s L building, the only building damaged by fire Tuesday night and where the fire started and was contained Friday.  The building, which has been gutted since the August flooding, had piles of electronics, computers and furniture gathered in the center hallway. Most of it looked wet and water pooled on the floor in spots. Fire damage was not readily visible.

Fifteen out of 17 buildings at the north Baton Rouge high school took in water in August. School officials are planning to reopen the school, which has been relocated across town for months, by fixing up a few of the least damaged buildings and installing several temporary buildings. A much more expensive permanent repair of the high school is slated to come after that.

The L building is one of the buildings slated to be repaired quickly. Duggan said school officials are examining the damage to see if the building can be fixed up in time for the beginning of the 2017-18 school year on Aug. 10.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Mt. Juliet, TN – Single sprinkler contains fire at elementary school

Mt. Juliet firefighters extinguished a fire last Sunday morning at Mt. Juliet Elementary School that damaged at least one classroom. Firefighters responded to the school at 2521 W. Division St. at about 8 a.m. According to Mt. Juliet fire officials, the fire started in “hotel-style” heater” that activated one sprinkler head in a classroom, and the school’s sprinkler system contained the fire. Fire damaged the classroom, and four adjoining classrooms suffered water and some smoke damage.

“Something did malfunction, and it did ignite,” said Mt. Juliet fire Chief Jamie Luffman. “There was a significant fire as you can see by that wall over there and it came through the wall.” Luffman said the sprinkler kept the fire contained until firefighters arrived and extinguished the remainder of the fire. The single sprinkler head released a significant amount of water that then leaked into adjoining classrooms, Luffman said. “Obviously this fire was intense for a short period of time,” Luffman said. 

Wilson County Schools spokesperson Jennifer Johnson said in an email clean-up crews responded to the school after firefighters extinguished the fire. Firefighters remained on the scene for several hours. Johnson initially said classes would resume as normal with students returning from spring break Monday, but she later said Monday would be considered a “student holiday” for students. All teachers and staff are expected to report for work as a teacher in-service day to help get the school ready for classes Tuesday.  “We are so grateful to the Mt Juliet Fire Department for their quick response and ability to contain the fire to such a small portion of the school,” Johnson said.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Glenwood, MN – Fire at high school limited to one room by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire sprinklers did their job at the Minnewaska High School Thursday night and helped contain a fire to a science room.

“Damage is fairly minor,” said Superintendent Greg Schmidt. “We’re thankful it was limited to one room and no one was hurt.”

Most of the damage was caused by smoke and water in the east academic wing of the one-story building, which houses the district’s 4-12 graders.

As a precaution to prevent students and staff from experiencing physical problems from the lingering smoke, all the classes were cancelled Friday in the district.

“It made a lot of sense to keep kids out of the building,” Schmidt said.

According to Starbuck Fire Chief Todd Johnshoy, a call at around 8:20 p.m. from a custodian at the school, as well as an automatic fire alarm, brought the Pope County Sheriff’s Department and fire departments from Starbuck and Glenwood to the scene.

When crews arrived flames were visible in the science lab but were quickly extinguished, Johnshoy said.

“The fire sprinkler system suppressed it and we went in and mopped up,” Johnshoy said. “Without the sprinklers there would’ve been a lot more damage.”

Schmidt said it appears the fire was contained to a work station cabinet in the science room and the ceiling tiles above it.

Johnshoy said the water damage was contained to a couple classrooms.

“The biggest problem is the smoke,” Johnshoy said. “Once you open up a building like that, it went through the hallways.Johnshoy said the cause of the fire was “undetermined” at this time and that a Fire Marshall was on the scene until about midnight investigating the blaze.

Schmidt said possible causes of the fire are suspected but he didn’t not want to comment until the Fire Marshall’s report was completed.

Schmidt praised the firefighters and law enforcement for their quick response and for getting the smoke out of the building.

The district’s insurance agent was expected to be on the scene Friday. Schmidt said he didn’t think the financial cost for the cleanup and repairs would be significant. “But certainly it’s a little disconcerting it happened.”

He said it’s expected that classes will resume Monday.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Orting, WA – Sprinkler system help limit damage in early morning fire at high school

All four schools in the Orting School District are on a two-hour delay after fire crews in Pierce County responded to a roof fire at Orting High School Thursday morning. The first call came in shortly after 4:30 a.m. By 5:30 a.m. crews had the fire out. According to the school district’s website, the fire started in a maintenance area above the boys locker room at the gymnasium. Sprinklers went off and contained the fire. It involved the HVAC system. No one was hurt.

“Right now we’re just having crews do an overhaul and waiting for the Fire Marshall to do their investigation,” Orting Valley Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Zane Gibson said. “Both Graham, Central Pierce, and East Pierce Fire and Rescue responded.”  Only the locker room has some water damage. “Sprinkler systems work, they did their job, and kept the fire very small,” Gibson said.  There is no financial estimate on the damage caused by the fire. The gymnasium is in a separate building on the same property as the high school. No classrooms were affected by the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Derry, NH – Fire in storage closet at elementary school suppressed by sprinkler system

A malfunctioning heat pump caused a small fire in a storage closet at the Derry Village Elementary School Friday afternoon. The Derry Fire Department first responded to an activated fire alarm at 2:59 p.m. and found that there was smoke in the third-grade wing of the school.  The building was unoccupied at the time except for janitorial staff.  The school’s sprinkler system had contained the fire to the storage closet and it did not extend to the ceiling.  The contents of the storage closet were significantly damaged with an estimated loss worth $3,000.  The fire was brought under control at 3:25 p.m.  The properly functioning alarm and sprinkler limited damage to the building and quickly alerted first responders to the threat, fire officials said.  The heat pump had ignited combustible materials that were just below it, leading to the fire, officials added.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Hebron, OH – Sprinkler system helps extinguish fire in high school science lab; no injuries

A fire caused by a science experiment prompted Lakewood High School to release students early Tuesday, according to district officials.

District Superintendent Mary Kay Andrews said all students and faculty were unharmed in the incident and everyone did a great job of evacuating the building.”

“Everything was calm,” she said.

Students were released at about noon on Tuesday. Andrews said school will be in session Wednesday.

The district staff was in the process of assessing the damage Tuesday afternoon. Andrews said the fire didn’t cause much damage. However, there was water damage from the sprinkler system going off in the science lab and a few other classrooms.

Andrews said the school had not yet determined if the science lab would have to close for repairs.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Marriottsville, MD – Morning arson fire at high school extinguished by sprinkler system

Students, faculty and staff at Marriotts Ridge High School were dismissed early Friday morning after a paper towel holder was set on fire and triggered the building’s sprinkler system. Howard schools spokesman John White said the fire was caused by a student and that disciplinary actions will follow, using the school system’s Student Code of Conduct. On Monday, Howard police charged the 16-year-old juvenile, of Ellicott City, with arson, malicious burning and disturbing activities at school.  There was little damage by the fire and no one was injured. Students were allowed to return to the school Friday afternoon to retrieve their belongings.

Everyone at the high school was safely evacuated to nearby Mount View Middle School this morning, as Howard County Fire and Rescue arrived. Classes were dismissed for the day at 10:15 a.m. since smoke was throughout the building, White said. Kristy Gaigalas, a spokeswoman for the fire department, said officials received the call around 7:15 a.m. and found the fire was extinguished by the sprinklers. White said students who drove to school were immediately dismissed, while parents picked up other students at the middle school.  Marriotts Ridge senior Anthony Ellis said he smelled the smoke, which was coming from the men’s bathroom near the art room on the first floor.  “There really wasn’t much of a fire, just smoke,” Ellis said. “We all had to evacuate before school even began.”

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Kiln, MS – Sprinkler system keeps fire from spreading at middle school; Classes canceled two days

Hancock Middle School will resume class as normal Wednesday morning, Assistant Superintendent Donnie Gholston said. School officials had canceled classes because a fire Monday morning set off sprinklers and flooded classrooms.  Maintenance company ServPro and the school’s custodial staff worked Monday and Tuesday to mop up the water and sanitize the school.  Hancock County Emergency Management Director Brian Adam, who is the county’s fire marshal, is leading the investigation into the origin of the fire.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Bessemer, AL – Fire at high school caused by overloaded electrical cords is put out by sprinkler system

Bessemer fire officials say they responded to a small fire at Bessemer City High School Monday night.  Fire officials say they believe some electrical cords powering a fridge and a copier caught fire, triggering the sprinklers to go off.  Thankfully, the sprinkler system put out the fire.  They say the fire isn’t serious but residents may notice some crews on scene as they clean up the water and smoke damage.