Despite classroom fire, high school in Lake Country will be open Monday

LAKE COUNTRY – It should be class as usual for high school students in Lake Country Monday.

A fire in a wastepaper basket Friday night, Feb. 16, did significant heat, smoke and water damage to a science classroom at George Elliot Secondary School. Other parts of the school building suffered some water and light smoke damage.

Lake Country fire chief Steve Windsor says the accidental fire was started by a rolled up paper towel likely used to ignite Bunsen burners in the classroom on Friday afternoon. The fire had spread to a paper towel dispenser before the sprinkler in the room went off preventing the flames from spreading into the school.

“Someone probably had put the paper towel used to light the burners under the tap and thrown it into the garbage can,” Windsor says. “We did find some paper towel that had some burning on the edge and it would coincide with the time the school was let out and when the fire set off the alarm system.”

The school district’s custodians and a restoration company have been working on the water and smoke damage all weekend.

Windsor expects says the science classroom will be out of action for about a week or so, depending how long the restoration work takes.

The school will be open on Monday, Feb. 19, according to post on the George Elliot Secondary School website.

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