An electrical fire caused smoke to fill a middle school in Woodstock after school hours while a basketball practice was taking place Wednesday evening.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and Woodstock Police Department responded around 8:59 p.m. Wednesday to Creekside Middle School, 3201 Hercules Road in Woodstock, for a report of a structure fire.
Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said initial reports indicated a possible fire in the teachers’ lounge.
911 callers reported seeing flames coming from a light fixture.
Firefighters arrived within four minutes to find the building being evacuated, Vucha said. No visible fire was seen from the outside.
Crews entered the building and encountered substantial smoke coming from the teachers’ lounge located adjacent to the main entrance.
Firefighters determined the source to be a pendant-style light fixture.
Vucha said no active fire was present as the staff had already shut off the electricity to the room.
Firefighters ventilated the building to clear the smoke, which had traveled throughout the school. No injuries were reported.
Dispatch did not receive a fire alarm activation during the incident, according to fire department radio traffic.
Vucha said a basketball practice was taking place at the time but the school was not significantly occupied due to it being after hours.