Hagerstown Fire Department concludes Bester Elementary fire was result of arson
The small bathroom fire that led to an early dismissal Tuesday and closed Bester Elementary School on Wednesday was arson, according to the Hagerstown Fire Department.
Deputy Fire Marshal Deanna Pelton said Wednesday morning that charges could be filed against a juvenile suspect as early as that day.
Hagerstown Fire officials would not immediately say whether the youth is a student at Bester Elementary.
But an email from Washington County Public Schools spokesperson Joe Copenhaver on Wednesday afternoon states there were no unauthorized people in the building.
Because the suspect is a juvenile, Pelton said she was not releasing information about the youth or details about how the fire was started. When asked about the possibility of someone smoking in the bathroom, Pelton said no cigarettes were found.
A Hagerstown Fire Department news release says the fire was "incendiary."
Community Rescue Service evaluated a school system staff member for smoke inhalation, but the staffer was not taken to the hospital, the release states.
A Bester staff member was the first person to respond to the fire and used a fire extinguisher to prevent further spread of the fire, Copenhaver wrote. That staff member was "feeling OK" and was at work on Wednesday.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Copenhaver texted that classes will resume Thursday at Bester.
Work was being done Wednesday to clean up after the fire and address repairs.
The 385 Mill St. school, at South Potomac Street and East Memorial Boulevard, was evacuated around 11 a.m. Tuesday in response to a fire alarm, Copenhaver has said.
The fire occurred in a bathroom, on the second floor in between two classrooms, Pelton has said. The fire sprinkler extinguished the bathroom fire before it could spread to the classrooms.
Water from the sprinkler went through the floor to the first floor, Battalion Chief Adam Hopkins has said.
The water damage led fire and school system officials to decide to dismiss school early Tuesday and not to have school on Wednesday. The normal dismissal time for Bester is 3:30 p.m.
The fire was contained to a single stall in the bathroom, Copenhaver wrote. The bathroom was being professionally cleaned on Wednesday with new ceiling tiles installed and exhaust fan duct work scrubbed.
Ceiling tiles will need to be replaced on the first floor due to sprinkler water seeping down the walls, Copenhaver wrote. Some wiring and technology devices were not working and those are being dried or replaced.
Copenhaver said it's too soon to know the estimated cost of the work because the full extent of the damage was still being determined.
Bester Elementary has about 430 students.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland elementary school bathroom fire was arson
