Spring Break
Fire starts at Charleston High School
Matt Hopf/Associate News Editor
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: News
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The fire was in a concession stand when fire and ambulance units got there, Assistant Chief Pat Goodwin said.
"There were flames throughout the room, and smoke throughout the whole high school," Goodwin said around 8 p.m. "Crews right now are trying to clear the smoke from the rest of the buildings."
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated, said Jim Littleford, superintendent of Charleston Community Unit School District 1.
Littleford said around 6:45 p.m. the fire alarm sounded in the building. The concession stand was located next to the auditorium across the hall from Baker Gymnasium, he said.
"It was immediately extinguished by the fire department, and they began the process of cleaning up the smoke damage at that point in time," Littleford said.
An estimate of the damage at the schools was not available at the time, but he said it would probably depend on the amount of smoke damage within the building.
The district is in contact with its insurance company.
All Charleston district schools are closed today, as the district will bring maintenance personnel to the high school to get it ready for Monday classes.
"We are planning to have school on Monday for all our schools in the district," he said.
There was a cheerleading clinic going on in the school, Littleford said. No injuries were reported, he added.
Tonight's football game between Charleston and Mount Zion High School will go on as planned. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Trojan Field.
Matt Hopf can be reached at 581-7942 or at mthopf@eiu.edu.
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