OLATHE, Kan. --
Olathe firefighters battled a four-alarm fire at an elementary school at 146th Terrace and Alden Street.
The fire was declared under control at 7:45 a.m. Fire crews were called to Green Springs Elementary School about 6 a.m. Heavy black smoke was reported by the first firefighters arriving at the scene.
KMBC's Jana Corrie reported that the fire started in an office and spread to classrooms. A custodian was the only one in the building at the time of the fire, and called 911.
Fire crews not only had to battle the fire, but the bitter cold. Temperatures were reported at 9 degrees below zero.
"Anytime it's this cold, it's a little bit harder to fight fire. So we have lots of crews here to rotate them through and have work-rest cycles," Olathe Fire Chief Jeff DeGraffenreid said
No classes were being held at the school Thursday because classes were called off district-wide because of the snow and bitter cold.
DeGraffenreid said there was a lot of damage inside the school and to a number of classrooms.
The cause of the fire is not known.
DeGraffenreid said the building is more than 25 years old and did not have a sprinkler system inside.
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