Fire at Sterling Junior High Portable

A portable unit on the campus of Sterling Junior High in East Wenatchee caught fire Tuesday afternoon.

Fire Breaks Out at School Portable

Wenatchee Valley Fire Operations Chief Andy Davidson said crews responded at approximately 1:27 p.m. and found flames coming from above an HVAC unit.
Firefighters extinguished the flames in about 15 minutes.

Students Safely Evacuated

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Davidson said it was a smaller classroom with approximately 15 children. Eastmont School District Superintendent Spencer Taylor said the kids were three to four years of age participating in the YMCA Early Learning Program, which provides Eastmont school district staff with child care.

Davidson added that faculty followed the district's fire procedures and quickly evacuated all the children from the unit and adjacent units.

"Everybody got out really quickly," Davidson said. "The kids are really small, so the smoke is going up, so they were able to get out quickly and exit before the smoke banked down, which is great. The school did a wonderful job."

Damage to Classroom Unit

There were no injuries in the fire. The portable unit has large holes in the walls and roof of the building. Davidson said it is not usable at this time. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Davidson added that responding East Wenatchee Police Department officers were very helpful.

Safety Reminder from Fire Officials

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department reminds everyone to check their smoke alarms and to practice evacuation routes.

10 Tips To Prevent Wildfires

Smokey The Bear said it best, "only you can prevent wildfires." Well, it's a lot easier said than done, Smokey. Great name for a bear trying to warn us about fire hazards, by the way.

In order to prevent wildfires, you have to first know how they can be prevented. Here are 10 tips provided by the Department Of Interior that will help you in your every day life, so you can enjoy being outside, camping, and having bonfires without it turning into a problem.

Here are their 10 tips, along with some simplified explanations from me.

Gallery Credit: Cort Freeman

Filed Under: Wenatchee Valley Fire Department