Theater Fire Disrupts School, Soaks Students
By: Dylan Jennings
Writer
Friday, February 3rd seemed like a normal day for Buhach Colony students until the fire alarm sounded near the end of first period. This was assumed to be an average drill. As the students followed the protocol for a fire drill, the fire department showed up and the staff looked frantic. This led to the notion that this was no drill and that this was not a normal incident. At the same time a storm was approaching Buhach Colony High School as the clouds were dark and gray. As the Buhach Colony students
Writer
Friday, February 3rd seemed like a normal day for Buhach Colony students until the fire alarm sounded near the end of first period. This was assumed to be an average drill. As the students followed the protocol for a fire drill, the fire department showed up and the staff looked frantic. This led to the notion that this was no drill and that this was not a normal incident. At the same time a storm was approaching Buhach Colony High School as the clouds were dark and gray. As the Buhach Colony students
Buhach students try to stay dry during the storm
Photo provided by Lea Smith |
were evacuating the campus the fury of the storm was unleashed, creating a frenzy of weather. Friday, February 3rd was no normal day.
While no one knows to the full extent of what caused the fire at Buhach Colony, acting administrator John Bliss stated, “The only thing we know is that there was an electrical short in the backup control panel near the theater building. This caused some smoke or something that caused us to have to go to an alarm situation.” At approximately 8:40 a.m., the fire drill sounded off forcing staff, teachers, and students to promptly leave the campus. After sitting outside for a few minutes, the students then realized that the fire department had arrived and the idea that this was just a drill began to fade away. Liaison Jose Medina and custodian Fernando Borges were the first to arrive at the scene. “Fernando opened the door and there was smoke billowing out and there were some flames underneath an electrical box. Fernando |
grabbed the fire extinguisher nearby and extinguished the flames and we had to wait until the fire department gave the all clear for the students to return,” stated Medina. The room where the fire was located was small, however, some smoke could be seen and the area smelt of smoke. There was obviously something that had occurred.
At the same time that the Buhach students had to evacuate the campus, a storm had began to hit Atwater. High winds and heavy rain commenced to plummet the area causing students to get soaked. The evacuation from campus lasted around 25 minutes and by the end the students were completely drenched. This led to many students calling home or getting outside passes so they could leave to get dry clothes and warmth. The front office was packed with parents and students entering and leaving the campus. Junior Luke Bird commented on the incident, “At first I was happy. It’s always fun to get out of class, but then we opened the door and it was pouring and I was livid. I really didn’t want to get soaked.” Senior John Linan also stated, “I
At the same time that the Buhach students had to evacuate the campus, a storm had began to hit Atwater. High winds and heavy rain commenced to plummet the area causing students to get soaked. The evacuation from campus lasted around 25 minutes and by the end the students were completely drenched. This led to many students calling home or getting outside passes so they could leave to get dry clothes and warmth. The front office was packed with parents and students entering and leaving the campus. Junior Luke Bird commented on the incident, “At first I was happy. It’s always fun to get out of class, but then we opened the door and it was pouring and I was livid. I really didn’t want to get soaked.” Senior John Linan also stated, “I
was kind of mad, because it was raining and I was getting wet. I wanted to go home because I was all wet.” The Buhach Colony students were not thrilled with the events that occurred that morning. Senior Garrett Groth stated, “I thought somebody pulled the fire alarm and I thought it was a joke and that it was a really mean joke.” Eventually the campus returned to normalcy. Students returned to their classes and the day continued on.
The administration was proud of the way the teachers and students handled the situation. Bliss stated, “I was very impressed with the students and the staff and how calm everybody was and how composed the students and staff were considering the less than desirable conditions that we had to deal with. I’m very proud of how the students and staff reacted.” Incidents like these can create panic and problems within a school. However, Buhach Colony students reacted with excellent composure and didn’t let the incident scare them at all. |
Students watch as the Fire Department arrives
Photo provided by Desmond Ayala |