Updated April 9
Whitefield Elementary School Principal Josh McNaughton said last week light fixtures in the gymnasium, the source of two separate fires in just over one year, will be completely replaced before the school is reopened to students.
The work, in addition to other clean up needed due to the fire, is expected to be completed shortly. The school must clear a kitchen inspection, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, April 10, before it can reopen to students.
Principal Joshua McNaughton is expecting to make the announcement on when the school will reopen for classes.
Students are attending school at Chelsea Elementary School while the work in Whitefield is underway.
In addition to replacing light fixtures in the gym, the school is working with the State Fire Marshal’s Office to address several areas of concern the fire marshal’s office discovered after the 2014 fire at Whitefield Elementary School.
Work on the “mitigation list” was scheduled to begin during the school’s April vacation on Monday, April 20.
The recent fire has accelerated the work to bring Whitefield Elementary School up to code, McNaughton said.
Whitefield Elementary School was evacuated Friday, March 27 at approximately 10 a.m. after a fire broke out in a light fixture in the gymnasium. Whitefield Fire and Rescue was able to quickly extinguish the fire, which was later ruled accidental.
Sgt. Ken Grimes, with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, determined the fire started when the light fixture overheated and melted the “translucent plastic diffuser”, which shielded the light.
The melted plastic dripped onto the gymnasium floor and ignited the floor, Grimes said.
According to Whitefield Fire Chief Scott Higgins, the fire started in the same manner as the March 10, 2014 fire which closed for school for approximately one week.
According to The Lincoln County News archives, the school’s custodian, Louis Shorey, was in the gym when he heard a light bulb explode and saw the light fixture on fire. Shorey was able to extinguish the fire before the fire department arrived.
According to McNaughton, an electrical engineer pointed to a burst light bulb as the source of the 2015 fire in the light fixture.
A series of inspections are underway at Whitefield Elementary School following the March 27, 2015 fire, including a food service inspection of the kitchen, a roof inspection, and an electrical system inspection, McNaughton said.
Investigations by the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the school’s insurance company are complete, McNaughton said.
The state’s Electricians Examining Board is currently investigating the light fixture.
According to McNaughton, no one has rendered an official opinion about whether the light fixture fires were a result of malfunctioning equipment.
All light fixtures in the gymnasium will be replaced before the school reopens, McNaughton said. Money from RSU 12’s recent Energy Conservation Performance Contract with Siemens Industry Inc. will be used to replace the current light fixture, McNaughton said.
ServPro, a restoration company, has been at work at the school to clean fire debris and smoke damage, McNaughton said.
Ceiling tiles in the gymnasium, kitchen, and hallway will be replaced, in addition to an area of insulation in the gymnasium damaged by water.
The fire marshal identified several areas of concern following the 2014 light fixture fire. Replacing doors in the school with fire rated doors, or doors that will self-close in the advent of a fire, are a top priority for the school, McNaughton said.
The school is working with the fire marshal’s office to determine if automatic holds should be added to three sets of hallway doors, McNaughton said.
Automatic holds will add a magnet system to the doors that will tie it to the fire alarm, McNaughton said.
In addition to bringing the doors at Whitefield Elementary School up to code, the “mitigation list” includes duct work in the kitchen and enlarging windows in the kindergarten through fourth grade wing of the school.
Whitefield Elementary School is working with contractors and the State Fire Marshal’s Office to ensure all new installations are in compliance with the fire code, McNaughton said.
According to McNaughton, the transition to Chelsea Elementary School while repairs are made at Whitefield Elementary School is going well.
McNaughton said the accommodation’s Chelsea Elementary School has made for Whitefield Elementary School’s students and staff has, “been phenomenal.”
“I really want to thank the Chelsea community for their understanding of the situation and the Whitefield community as well for their flexibility as we mitigate the fire situation,” McNaughton said.
McNaughton said he will continue to post updates about Whitefield Elementary School on the school’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WhitefieldElementary, and through their instant alert system.
