One of the lights in the ceiling of the library suddenly caught fire yesterday at approximately 7:45 a.m., causing the eighty or so studying students to evacuate. Immediately, Principal Michael Deely shut down the library for fifteen minutes before the start of school.  According to librarian Mrs. Pat Prather, the fire put itself out, most likely because of an emergency shut-off device.

There were no injuries reported, and the fire was just a quick scare. The library was open once again by the beginning of first period.

The exact cause of the fire is currently unknown, but Mrs. Prather speculated that perhaps it was sparked by an electrical problem of some sort. The only thing that remains of the fire is a dark, smoky scar above the broken light, about eighteen inches high, the same height of the flames, witnesses said.

“I was sitting here when a young man came up and told me, ‘I think we might have a fire,’” Mrs. Prather said. “I immediately told the kids to evacuate and called the front desk and told them to get security.  Only a few minutes later the fire alarm went off, but by the time the fire department got here, the fire had put itself out.”

Students were immediately notified of the situation by an intercom announcement by Mr. Deely.  Everyone in the library evacuated safely and without a commotion.

“I was so proud of the students,” said Mrs. Prather. “They handled the situation very well.  There was no screaming or running of any kind.  They just picked up their things and got out.  No one panicked, and they were calm during the entire thing.”

The library is currently reopened to students, though there is no word yet on how the lamp will be repaired.