Schools
Fire at Pomperaug High Ends School Day Early
Wednesday was a short day for Pomperaug High School students, who woke up to a 90-minute weather delay, and were then dismissed at 11 a.m. due to a roof fire.
A transformer fire resulted in an early dismissal Wednesday morning at Pomperaug High School.
Superintendent Regina L. Botsford made the following announcements on Region 15's Facebook page on Wednesday:
"A fire alarm went off this morning, Jan. 22, at PHS. Fire and police responded immediately. By recommendation of the fire officials, PHS students and staff were held in a safe, contained area of the school. It was then determined by fire officials that more time was needed to identify the source that triggered the alarm. PHS students were dismissed at 11 a.m."
Teachers reportedly let students waiting to be picked up sit inside their heated cars to stay warm in the bitter cold.
According to Lieutenant Jason Decremer of the Southbury Volunteer Fire Department, "the fire was in an HVAC unit on the roof of the building. Smoke was pushed through parts of the building, most notably in the AP room. There was no extension of fire to any other part of the building."
As a result of the fire and ensuing investigation, all after school and evening activities were canceled at Pomperaug. That included the Southbury Zoning Commission public hearing on the Riverview Cinema and Playhouse project, which was a continuation from Jan. 15. The hearing has been rescheduled for next Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the PHS auditorium.
Around 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, Superintendent Botsford announced on the Facebook page that "Region 15 administrators received word from fire officials that a malfunctioning transformer caused the fire alarm to go off, and officials gave clearance to open school tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 23.
Updates to the PHS mid term schedule are posted on the PHS website (www.region15.org/subsite/phs)"
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