Fire Heavily Damages High School

Friday, October 19th 2007, 7:41 am

By: News On 6

A fire at Tulsaâ€™s East Central High School burns part of the gymnasium. It started early this morning in what the fire department says was a spontaneous ignition. The News On 6â€™s Emory Bryan reports the fire started out small, but caused a lot of damage to the gymnasium and other rooms underneath it. School was closed for fall break so no students were in danger and classes were not interrupted.

The smoke poured out of the roof just after daybreak. A custodian discovered the fire, which was floor to ceiling in the gymnasium when firefighters arrived. The gym doesn't have a smoke detector, according to the school district, because it's not required by city code.

The hardest work for firefighters was up above where the flames had spread into layers of old roofing near an air conditioner. As the firefighters were working, the football team was being turned away from a workout at the school.

"We played last night and were coming in today from 10 to 12 to watch film and get a little extra conditioning in and have the weekend off,â€ said football coach Travis Hill.

Inside the gymnasium is covered with soot and smoke. The fire department estimates the damage at $300,000. A 15 foot wide square of the floor was burned out, which melted some plastic bleachers. The heat did some damage in the gym, but smoke did much more.

"We've got everything from floor to ceiling in the gym has some damage, it's mostly smoke,â€ said Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker.

The gymnasium floor was being refinished and investigators say the fire started in a bag of sawdust and varnish that was left over from the job. The fire department had nearly 50 people on the scene for much of the morning. They were clearing out the smoke and hauling out smoldering debris.

Meanwhile, the school district started building a wall to separate the gym from the rest of the school to keep students out until repairs are mold.

Watch the video: Fire Sparks At High School