Staff at St. Agnes Elementary was quick to respond to a small fire started by a briefly unattended warming dish heat source Wednesday, which limited damage to the Catholic school.
According to Scottsbluff Fire Department Prevention Officer Chris Perales, the department was called to a possible fire in the basement around 11:00 a.m., but prior to firefighters’ arrival, staff had put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, and were evacuating the school.
Perales says crews arrived within two minutes of the initial dispatch, and provided manpower with ventilating the smoke out of the basement, and checking the area for any hotspots.
He says the investigation determined staff was keeping some food heated up with some canned Sterno Heaters, and when unattended, the radiant heat caught some nearby combustibles on fire causing smoke and heat damage.
Perales says the incident is a perfect reminder that you should never leave anything unattended that has an open flame or produces heat, to follow all manufacturer instructions for heating appliances, and have a fire extinguisher nearby in the event something happens, both indoor and outdoors.
He says the staffs’ training in fire extinguisher use prevented the fire from being a lot worse, and is a reminder to business owners, or managers the importance of ensuring your staff is properly trained to handle these types of emergencies.
