Primary / Secondary School, School / University Derry, NH – Fire in storage closet at elementary school suppressed by sprinkler system March 8, 2017 viking210 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.
