A a small fire in the ventilation system in Bonny Eagle High School in Standish that forced the evacuation of more than 1,100 students Friday morning was the result of a smoking incident.
The fire was accidentally started, Superintendent Paul Penna said in a blog post on the MSAD 6 website Friday afternoon. It was initially reported as an electrical fire that started in a bathroom ventilation system.
No one was injured and no damage was caused, Penna said. The cause of the fire was being investigated by the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal.
The Standish Fire Department was called to the school on Saco Road around 9:15 a.m. for reported smoke on two floors of the building. Mutual aid was requested from other local departments, including the Buxton Fire Department.
Penna said 1,150 students were evacuated and taken to Bonny Eagle Middle School. Students were sent home for the day at 11 a.m. and were allowed to return to the high school to retrieve their belongings between 4:30 and 7 p.m.
Penna said students and staff did an “excellent job” getting out of the building safely. The high school administration and school resource officer will continue to investigate the smoking incident, he said.
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