A school employee was transported to the hospital after an electrical fire broke out in the locker room at Wauconda High School Thursday morning, fire officials said.
The Wauconda Fire District was called at 9:57 am. on Thursday to a report of a structure fire at the Wauconda High School, 555 North Main Street.
A staff member was able to use a fire extinguisher to contain a bulk of the fire before firefighters arrived. Responding fire crews met with school officials who said there was an electrical fire in one of the locker rooms.
Four school employees were evaluated by paramedics and one of them was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The fire was contained to the locker room and damage was estimated at $30,000.
“The personal items that were within the locker room are being cleaned to be returned to the students. As a precaution, the students were sent home for the remainder of the day,” Wauconda Fire District officials said.
“Due to the proximity of the locker room to our cafeterias, we are unable to continue with the school day,” Wauconda Community Unit District 118 Superintendent Dr. Daniel Coles said. Students were dismissed from school at 11:30 a.m. and the status about school on Friday is expected to be announced soon, Coles added.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by fire investigators. The Wauconda Fire District was assisted at the scene by firefighters from Round Lake, Lake Zurich and Nunda-Rural. Fox River Grove and Grayslake firefighters covered a Wauconda fire station during the incident.