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At around 1 p.m. on Sept. 17, the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center received an emergency call from the alarm company reporting a pull-station activation at the school, an the SRO assigned to the school reported a heavy smoke area in the boiler room reported the situation a minute later.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue crews and several neighboring agencies responded to the scene, where they found students and staff already safely evacuated, as well as heavy smoke coming from the building.
Crews were able to get inside and made their way to the area of the welding classroom, and determined the fire was located in the fume extraction system.
It took nearly an hour to get the fire fully extinguished, officials said, and due to the size of the building, the Mobile Ventilation Unit was called in to assist with venting the smoke from the building.
Investigators say that students had been welding and grinding earlier in the day, during which debris or a spark got into the hopper, which ultimately started the fire, which caused an estimated $1 million in damage.
One adult and a firefighter suffered minor injuries and they were taken to area hospital for treatment and evaluation. No students were injured.
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