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A police officer in Westport assigned to Long Lots Elementary School, located on Hyde Lane, first noticed trouble at around noon Wednesday, May 25, when he smelled smoke in the school’s auditorium, according to the Westport Fire Department.
The officer pulled a fire alarm after spotting smoke and used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames.
When firefighters arrived, they found a small fire still burning in a wall of the auditorium that they put out, officials said.
Investigators with the Westport Fire Marshal’s Office determined that an electrical short had sparked the fire.
No students or staff were injured, officials said.
Students were sent home at 1:15 p.m. out of an abundance of caution.
“The quick actions of the police officer and execution of a well-practiced evacuation plan contributed to this successful operation,” said Jeff Gootman, shift commander of the Westport Fire Department.
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