Sparks from a Revelstoke Secondary School shop class hand grinder set fire to a pile of class projects made of paper on the morning of Jan. 6., prompting the evacuation of the school.
Fire Chief Rob Girard credits a teacher and a student for their fast and appropriate response to the fire. “If it wasn’t for the quick work with a fire extinguisher by a student and the shop teacher, the outcome may have been significantly different,” Girard said in a media release.
There were no injuries to students, staff or fire personnel. Girard also commended on the orderly evacuation of the school.
Students were back in class later that day after several rooms were ventilated by the fire department.
Girard said the incident served as a reminder to all residents that it’s a good idea to have working fire extinguishers handy in your home and vehicles, and to know how to use them.