No Injuries Reported As Science Teacher Douses Flames
posted November 30, 2005
A fire at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences early Wednesday afternoon was quickly contained, school officials said.
There were no injuries, it was stated.
However, students and staff were sent outside due to smoke that filled the school.
Classes were called off for the remainder of the afternoon, but are scheduled to resume on Thursday morning.
Buses were dispatched to the school early to pick up the students.
Fire officials said around 12:45 p.m., while many students were having lunch, the school’s fire alarm system activated. The school was quickly evacuated, with some of the 1,100 students being sent to a nearby soccer field and others going to a separate gymnasium.
While outside the building, Elementary School Principal Katrina Lawrence noticed black smoke coming from the roof. With the students safely outside, some faculty members went inside to investigate. Jim Hunt, a science teacher, discovered smoke in the auditorium on the third floor, and then observed flames underneath the stage curtains. Mr. Hunt said he got a portable fire extinguisher, held his breath, and put most of the fire out before running back out to get fresh air.
The thick, black smoke filled up the auditorium and eventually spread to other parts of the building.
When Chattanooga firefighters arrived, a relatively small pile of debris on the auditorium stage, including part of the stage curtains, was still smoldering. The firefighters quickly extinguished what was left of the fire, and then set up high-powered fans to begin ventilating the building.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental. Captain Craig Haney with the Fire Investigation Division said the ignition source for the fire appears to be electrical in nature. The dollar loss was estimated at around $10,000.
Battalion Chief Mack Moore complimented the faculty and students at CSAS, saying they did a good job of evacuating the building quickly, and accounting for everyone who was in the building. Principal Steve Ball said the practice drills they hold regularly at the school paid off when they had a real fire.
Due to the time it would take to get the smoke out of the building, classes were cancelled for the remainder of the afternoon and busses were called in to pick up the students. The rest of the students were kept in place until their parents arrived to take them home.
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