The fire occurred in a transformer room, officials said. Below, the affected transformer. (Photo above by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Students at the Red Bank Primary School got a real-life lesson in responding to fire alarms Tuesday when a small transformer fire prompted an evacuation.
No injuries occurred during the incident, in which accumulated dust atop a transformer appeared to cause a wire to burn, Deputy Fire Chief Pete DeFazio told redbankgreen.
The 12:50 p.m. alarm prompted children and staff to evacuate the riverfront school building as instructed in fire drills.
Superintendent Jared Rumage said children were led up the hill along River Street to wait while firefighters responded, and the pastor at St. Paul the Baptist invited those who were chilly to sit inside.
Meantime, volunteer firefighters accessed the transformer room via an exterior door and put the fire out with a dry chemical, said DeFazio, who termed the fire “not significant.”
All were back in the school shortly thereafter, when buses started arriving for an early dismissal.
As of 2:30 p.m., power to the school was still out and JCP&L crews were arriving on scene.
