Above / Earlier this afternoon, passersby alerted this publication regarding fire equipment and paramedics at Naperville North High School. Shortly thereafter, the following report was received from the Naperville Fire Department. (PN file photos are used to help flag reports about Naperville Fire Department and Police Department responses to emergency calls, always reminding readers that keeping the community safe is everyone’s responsibility. Thanks for calling 911 whenever necessary. Be alert by day and by night. Stay safe.)
At 12:09PM on Thurs. June 22, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call from an administrator stating smoke was filling the cafeteria of a school (Naperville North High School) located in the 800 block of N. Mill Street. Naperville 911 (PSAP) dispatched a general alarm assignment consisting of 10 pieces of fire apparatus and 24 personnel including an Incident Commander and Incident Safety Officer to the reported address.
The school had approximately 800 students in attendance. All facility and students were able to safely evacuate prior to the fire department’s arrival.
At 12:14PM, the first arriving vehicle arrived on scene and reported a small fire on the roof.
Fire companies ascended to the roof and utilized a fire extinguisher to put the fire out. At 12:20PM, the fire was deemed under control. Fire companies remained on the scene another 15 minutes to ensure there were no hot spots. Once confirmed there were no additional hazards, all students and faculty were able to return to the building.
The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. Maintenance personnel performing work with a torch unintentionally ignited nearby combustibles. Fire damage was confined to the HVAC (air conditioning) unit.
No injuries were reported to any occupants or firefighters while operating on the scene.
The building was deemed to be habitable by the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, and Development (TED) Team. The blaze is estimated to have caused $15,000 in damages.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Police.
Report submitted by Daniel Smith, Division Chief, Naperville Fire Department.
