Posted: Friday, November 1, 2013 12:56 am | Updated: 8:06 am, Fri Nov 1, 2013.
Fire crews were called to the Bucks County Technical High School early Friday morning for reports of heavy smoke coming from the roof of the one-story building on Wistar Road in Bristol Township.Just before 1 a.m., crews were reporting they contained a fire that involved a large quantity of wood along the exterior of the wood shop / metal shop area of the school.A notice on the school's website this morning said that they would be open today and following a normal schedule
A full-time comprehensive school offering both academic and vocational instruction, the tech school serves students in the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts.
No further information was available about the fire or its cause.
A full-time comprehensive school offering both academic and vocational instruction, the tech school serves students in the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts.
No further information was available about the fire or its cause.
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Bucks County Technical High SchoolFire marshal: Cigarette caused fire at Bucks tech school
Posted: Friday, November 1, 2013 4:30 pm | Updated: 8:58 pm, Fri Nov 1, 2013.
By Joan Hellyer Staff Writer
A lit cigarette apparently caused a fire at the Bucks County Technical High School in Bristol Township, the fire marshal said Friday afternoon.
The fire started at some point Thursday night outside the school’s construction compound near the cabinetmaking/electrical area, township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said.
The blaze burned for “almost four hours” outside the school off Wistar Road before firefighters were called in just before 1 a.m. Friday morning, he said, adding that firefighters could tell how long the fire had burned by the conditions when they arrived.
“The fire was close to the building, but the (school) was never on fire,” BCTHS Administrative Director Leon Poeske said Friday afternoon. “At the peak of the blaze, there was smoke coming into the building through the exhaust ducts in the cabinetmaking shop area.”
The cabinetmaking area suffered smoke and heat damage, Poeske said. Some of the cabinetmaking machines will have to be inspected to see if they are operational and safe before they can be used again, the director said. The school’s insurance representatives will assess the machinery before making a damage estimate on the fire, he said.
“(School officials) will review our cameras and have an internal investigation to see if we can make any determination regarding the cigarette,” Poeske said. “We are fortunate no one was hurt and the damage is isolated and mainly outside the building.”
Because of the smoky smell in the cabinetmaking wing, classes for that trade were moved to an adjacent area Friday, he said.
“We have made it clear to students and staff that anyone sensitive to the smoke smell may see the nurse for treatment,” Poeske said. “Teachers were notified that they were able to move their classrooms if needed, but the majority of the building was unaffected by the incident.”
Poeske commended the BCTHS students for responding “extremely well” to the emergency changes.
“I give huge compliments to our local firefighters, who quickly got the situation under control,” he said. “Our security and facilities staff did a fantastic job in getting the building ready to open on time (Friday) morning, with little inconvenience to the students and staff.”
Maintenance crews will continue cleaning up the affected area throughout the weekend at the comprehensive technical high school that serves the Bensalem, Bristol, Bristol Township, Morrisville, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts, Poeske said.
“We anticipate having students in their regularly scheduled classrooms on Monday,” he said.
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