April 12--A fire in a Ventura elementary school was put out quickly Wednesday but caused damage estimated at $17,500, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the fire at Elmhurst School at 12:18 p.m., and the blaze was knocked down about 20 minutes later, officials said. No injuries were reported.
Fire and school officials Wednesday were investigating the cause of the fire.
The blaze was so intense it melted a smoke detector fixed to the ceiling, said David Endaya, a battalion chief with the Ventura City Fire Department.
"The potential was definitely there for major loss, but the school did great," Endaya said. "This is exactly why they do fire drills."
When firefighters arrived, the school had been evacuated with all students accounted for, according to a news release from the department.
Staff members directed the fire crew to a vacant classroom, telling firefighters that attempts to control the flames with fire extinguishers had failed, authorities said.
The fire was contained to one classroom -- a room for third- and fourth-grade pupils. Smoke filled some adjoining rooms.
Fire officials estimated about $10,000 in structural damage and $7,500 damage to contents of the room.
When classes resumed, pupils in those classrooms were relocated elsewhere on campus, said Superintendent Trudy Tuttle Arriaga.
Copyright 2012 - Ventura County Star, Calif.
