Category Archives: Primary / Secondary School

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Elnora, IN – Fire at elementary school suppressed by sprinkler system; School in session next day

Firefighters were called to North Daviess Elementary School Thursday evening. The Daviess County Sheriff’s Department reports an alarm was sounded at 6:51 p.m. at the school at 5498 E. SR 58 and the Elnora Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.

“We had a motor for an exhaust fan in an electrical closet short out, causing a small fire,” said North Daviess Superintendent Robert Bell. “The sprinkler system in the closet engaged and knocked down the fire right away.“

“We had crews in the building all night trying to get the water up and dry out the building,” said Bell. “The Elnora Fire Department went way above and beyond their duty because a lot of them stayed and helped us with the clean-up.”

Everyone was evacuated from the building during the fire and no injuries were reported. An investigator from the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to look at the fire but there are no reports of anything suspicious. Officials say they were not able to put a dollar amount on the estimated damages.

“The crews did a really good job with the drying out and cleaning up,” said Bell. “We were able to start school as normal without any problems at all.”

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Wanblee, SD – Fire at school contained by sprinkler system

Classes will resume as normal on Monday morning after a fire was contained by the sprinkler system at at Crazy Horse School in Wanblee.

According to Jon Schiedslaw with the Deputy Director of Oglala Sioux Tribe Emergency Management, just after 3 a.m. on Sunday, multiple agencies were called to Crazy Horse School a report of a fire. When crews arrived, they found a small grease fire in the kitchen which had been put out by the school’s sprinkler system.

Schiedslaw continued to say that the kitchen received light smoke damage, and that crews were able to air out the kitchen and mop up the fire. He said the incident will not effect school on Monday.

The Kadoka Volunteer Fire Department, the Martin Volunteer Fire Department, Oglala Sioux Tribe Emergency Management, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety all responded to the call.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Buckingham, PA – Fire at elementary school confined to one classroom by sprinkler system

A fire at Cold Spring Elementary School in Buckingham started in an unoccupied classroom on the second floor, township police said Thursday. Fire Marshal Jim Kettler is investigating the cause, they added. All Central Bucks schools are closed for students Thursday and Friday for staff development days, and for everyone on Monday for the President’s Day holiday. There was no immediate word from school district officials on whether Cold Spring students would return to school Tuesday.

Buckingham police said the school’s sprinkler system activated and the fire was confined to the one classroom. Fire companies from Midway, New Hope, Lingohocken, Plumstead, Doylestown, Point Pleasant and Warwick responded to the scene. All students and staff were evacuated to the neighboring Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and were on their way home by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the school district website said.

An announcement will be made on the website around noon Friday about arrangements for parents and students to pick up personal belongings left at the school because of having to evacuate.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Harrisburg, PA – Sprinkler system contained fire to school bathroom; No injuries reported

The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to a small, contained fire Tuesday morning, in a second floor boys bathroom at Rowland Academy.

According to school district officials, students and staff were quickly evacuated to Scott Elementary School.

The Bureau of Fire said the school’s sprinkler system helped contain the fire.

All staff and students were kept safe, and there is no further damage to the school.

Classes have resumed for the day.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Hurley, VA – Laundry fire at elementary school contained with help from sprinkler systems

Students were evacuated out of Hurley Elementary School on Thursday afternoon following a fire that investigators said started in the school’s gym area. Knox Creek Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson Wayne Horne told News 5 that a Buchanan County deputy was able to extinguish a blaze that came from a clothes dryer and where flames were visible. The fire activated the facility’s sprinkler system in the boys’ locker room and gym area, Horne said. Those areas also sustained smoke damage while a collection of toys intended for children were damaged during the incident, the spokesperson said. The students were taken to the nearby high school after being allowed to collect personal items. The fire remains under investigation.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Wheeling, IL – Fire at high school quickly extinguished by sprinkler system

No cause has been identified in a small fire that led to the evacuation of Wheeling High School, 900 S. Elmhurst Rd., at approximately 1:45 p.m. Friday (Dec. 7).

According to Wheeling Deputy Fire Chief Michael McGreal, the fire was contained to a storage closet near the rear of the school’s woodshop and was related to filters on a spray booth for paint and lacquer. There were no injuries and only minimal damage, with the closet cleaned and ready for use the same day.

McGreal said the school’s sprinkler system activated quickly, dousing the fire before it could become a serious danger. However, as a precaution, students stayed outside for around 20 minutes while fire crews cleared the scene.

“We tried to get the kids in as soon as possible, because it was very cold,” McGreal told the Journal & Topics.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Milton, WA – Boiler room fire at middle school suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Classes and all school-related activities are canceled at Surprise Lake Middle School in Milton on Tuesday after a fire in the boiler-room area damaged one of the school’s buildings.  The school’s sprinkler system quickly kicked in and put the fire out just as parent Raj Sanghera came to pick up her son from soccer practice.

“We heard the fire trucks come in. First there was just one. And then a couple more came. And then we actually started smelling the smoke,” she told KOMO News. “So, a lot of us parents walked over here and we saw the smoke shooting up from the roof.”  A small number of students and staff members had to be evacuated. They were forced to leave their belongings behind.  None of the classrooms here were touched, administrators said. However, there is a smell of smoke in the air. The fire marshal plans to rule the fire as accidental, he said.

“I’m happy that it was after school — that there were very few students inside the school. And nobody got hurt. Everyone’s safe,” Sanghera. said.  “There were no injuries from the fire. And the good thing is the fire suppression system actually worked and put the fire out before it spread too far,” Alfano said. District staff members will meet Tuesday morning to talk about next steps and a plan to let students get any belongings that were left behind. The district’s other schools will be on their regular schedules Tuesday. Ironically, the building where the fire happened at Surprise Lake Middle School was already set to be demolished next June, Alfano said. Voters passed a $176 million bond last February to build new schools and upgrade others, which includes replacing Surprise Lake Middle School. It was built in the early 1970s. Construction on the new building is set to begin in July, Alfano said.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

College Hill, OH – Duct fire in air handling system at elementary school extinguished by sprinkler system; School in session next morning

A College Hill school suffered minor smoke and water damage after a fire Tuesday night.  Crews were called to Pleasant Hill Academy on W. North Bend Road just before 10 p.m. after an air handler reportedly overheated and caught fire.  Officials said the fire was contained and a sprinkler located in the air duct extinguished it.  The flames caused an estimated $15,000 worth of damage.  One classroom had significant fire damage and another had water damage.  No one was hurt.  School will still be in session Wednesday.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Innisfil, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system suppressed fire at secondary school until fire crews arrived; No injuries reported

Innisfil Fire crews were called to Nantyr Shores Seconday School in Alcona on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a report of a fire.

According to Innisfil Fire, a small fire was detected in one of the school’s washrooms.

Officials say the sprinkler went off and it suppressed the fire until crews arrived on scene.

According to a tweet from the Simcoe County District School Board, students from Nantyr Shores Secondary School were evacuated to St. Frances of Assisi Catholic School.

Innisfil Fire says the fire was put out and there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Vienna, VA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire in high school classroom

A fire in a Madison High School classroom forced the cancellation of a drama performance on Friday, Nov. 9. There were no injuries.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to the fire around 6:49 p.m. Friday. Firefighters arriving on scene found smoke showing from the roof line of the school but found fire sprinklers had put out the blaze in a classroom. The fire was contained to the classroom.

About 125 students and staff had been in the building when the fire occurred. Smoke alarms and sprinklers alerted them to the fire. Most evacuated, while first responders helped others get out safely.

Fire investigators say a malfunctioning kiln left on unattended started the fire. A kiln is an oven for drying ceramics. Damages were estimated to be $3,000.

The school tweeted that the drama performance of “Noises Off” had been cancelled for that day. The play went on as scheduled on Saturday, Nov. 10 and has additional dates on Nov. 16-17 at 7:30 p.m.