Bemidji High School Fire Leaves Classrooms with Water Damage

Credit: Bemidji Fire Department

Bemidji firefighters are crediting a sprinkler system for holding a fire to the room of origin at the Bemidji High School until it could be extinguished.

Last Friday at around 11:30 p.m., the Bemidji Fire Department responded to a report of a smoke alarm activation located at the school. According to Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood, when firefighters arrived they found activated alarms with nothing showing from the exterior of the building.

As crews entered the building and searched for the cause of the alarm, they found a smoke-filled hallway with water flowing on the south side of the building. With a thermal imaging camera and water can extinguisher, firefighters quickly extinguished the fire in a custodian closet.

Firefighters were on the scene for about three hours, with 14 firefighters and three pieces of equipment to assist with water removal and clean up. The room of the fire’s origin suffered moderate smoke and water damage, while adjacent classrooms and hallways sustained water damage.

No injuries were reported. The fire is under investigation and appears to be electrical in nature.