CONCORD — Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter is pleased to report that Thoreau Elementary School will reopen Wednesday morning, following a fire on Monday evening.
Concord Public Schools administrators have been working with a cleaning company and its insurance provider.
For the rest of the school year, workers will restore eight of the school’s classrooms in the 1994 wing of the building.
“In the meantime, the amazing Thoreau staff spent the day relocating approximately 10 classrooms to ensure that the school will be open tomorrow,” Dr. Hunter said. “We will have a regularly scheduled day on Wednesday at Thoreau and across the district.”
For the rest of the district, the school calendar will not change. June 17 remains the last day of school for students at all of the other schools.
The final day of school at Thoreau, however, will be adjusted. At Thoreau, Wednesday, June 17, will now be a full day, and Thursday, June 18, will be a half day.
The Concord Fire and Police Departments responded to the school, located at 29 Prairie St., at 9:15 p.m. Monday after dispatch received a report of an activated fire alarm and sprinkler flow alarm.
Fire crews found a small fire in the ceiling of a classroom wing of the school. The fire had been largely knocked down and kept from spreading thanks to the properly-working sprinkler system, and firefighters were able to get to the fire quickly and extinguish it.
There was no structural damage to the school, however there was significant smoke throughout the building, especially the 1994-era classroom wing, as well as water damage and fire damage to the immediate affected area.
Fire crews cleared the scene Monday just before midnight.
School staff remained on the scene to work with companies to restore the fire detection and suppression systems and to make the building safe.
Concord Fire Department fire investigators returned later Tuesday to follow-up. A preliminary investigation isolated the fire’s origin to an area in the attic space in the 1994-era classroom wing around a heating unit.
The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation by the Concord Fire Department. The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office was also notified. The fire did not immediately appear to be suspicious. No one was injured. The investigation is still ongoing.
“We are very grateful for the outpouring of community support last night and today,” said Dr. Hunter. “Our understanding staff and families have made this difficult situation much more manageable. Thank you all for your cooperative spirit.”
Named for Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau Elementary School is a Pre-K to Grade 5 school serving about 435 students. The building opened in 1951, with a newer wing added in 1994 and major renovations and modernizations completed in 2006.
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