Hawaii Lab School Building Destroyed In Fire

June 14, 2006
Firefighters spent hours on the blaze

The Honolulu Fire Department battled a massive fire at the University of Hawaii Lab School in Manoa for hours on Tuesday.

The fire destroyed part of the school's orchestra room, theater and physical education rooms. The fire was also near the school's science center. The buildings are built by wood.

All children and faculty have been accounted for, according to the Department of Education. Tuesday was the first day of summer school at UH Lab, the DOE said. About 100 students ended classes at noon.

The athletic director was the only person in the building at the time of the fire and dialed 911, the school's headmaster said.

There were students in a building at another part of the campus in an after-school program. They were a safe distance away, according to one instructor. The instructor said they tried to keep the students calm and called parents to pick up the students.

Police closed the streets around the campus. Authorities evacuated some of the neighboring homes. (Read: Residents Evacuate School Neighborhood )

At least three police officers and two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.

The school's headmaster said besides the concern about the fire spreading, the school also has to worry about what to do after it is put out. Headmaster Donald Young said the school was already dealing with tight conditions for classes.

Young said that classes will resume on Tuesday.

Copyright 2006 by TheHawaiiChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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