LUNENBURG – Fire Chief Patrick Sullivan reports that the Lunenburg Fire Department responded Tuesday to a working fire in solar panels on the roof of the Lunenburg Middle High School.
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 11:12 a.m., the Lunenburg Fire Department was called to Lunenburg Middle High School, 1079 Massachusetts Ave., for a report of a fire on the roof.
Tuesday was the first day of school in Lunenburg. Fire alarms in the Middle High School alerted students and staff to the situation, and everyone evacuated the building appropriately. There were no reported injuries.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find approximately five solar panels on the rear of the building’s roof on fire. The panels are electrically charged, so once firefighters gained access to the roof, they used dry chemical fire extinguishers instead of water to put out the fire.
The fire was brought under control within about 15 minutes.
It appears that fire damage was contained to the solar panels, and that the fire caused only minor damage to the roof. A building and electrical inspector must still inspect the structure.
Students were released early on Tuesday. It appears, at this time, that students will be able to return to the building on Wednesday.
The cause remains under investigation by the Lunenburg Fire Department.
Firefighters from Fitchburg and Leominster provided mutual aid at the scene.
“Today was the first day of school, but both students and staff still knew exactly what to do when the fire alarms went off, and I am grateful for that,” said Chief Sullivan. “I’m also grateful that a quick response by the companies who were on duty today ensured that this fire did not cause more serious property damage.”
“I want to reassure our families that the response today was swift and well-coordinated. Thanks to the quick actions of our Fire and Police Departments, as well as the strong Emergency Preparedness Plan in place at Lunenburg Middle High School, all students and staff evacuated safely,” said Superintendent Jodi Fortuna. “Out of an abundance of caution, students were dismissed so that officials could fully confirm the building was safe once the fire was extinguished. I am especially grateful to the LMHS staff for the calm, caring way they supported our students throughout the entire process.”
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