School Building Catches Fire in Maine
On an early morning in July, Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville, Maine broke out into flames according to a report by WMTW News and local fire officials.
The “White Wing,” which for all intensive purposes served as the main portion of the building, was completely destroyed by the fire. Fire fighters were able to save the majority of the “Red Wing.” Officials have determined that the fire started in the wall/ceiling between the school’s gymnasium and nursing stations. They added that the likely cause was an electrical issue and there is no indication of foul play. However, the official cause was still officially listed as “undetermined” as of July 26th.
The school was empty at the time of the fire, so no evacuation was needed. However, there was nothing about the reported nature of this fire that indicates that this wouldn’t have happened if school was in session at the time.
According to a report by the USFA, approximately 4,000 reported school fires take place in the United States each year. These fires result in an average of seventy-five injuries and $66.1 million in property damages. It is clear that fires are one of the most urgent health and safety risks in a school building. It’s important to not only prepare for efficient evacuation in case of an emergency, but also to take precautionary measures when building and renovating school buildings.
OSHA, NFPA and ICC all provide codes and standards for school buildings that are personalized for occupancy type and occupancy loads to cater to the differing school buildings across the nation.
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Fire destroys part of northern Maine elementary school, cause undetermined – WMTW
