FARR WEST — Classes will resume as scheduled Monday at West Weber Elementary despite a fire that heavily damaged one classroom and caused minimal damage to another Friday evening.
Firefighters from three departments responded to a blaze at West Weber Elementary, 4178 W 900 South, shortly after 7 p.m.
The fire apparently started after electric insulating tape wrapped on a pipe in the ceiling of a third grade classroom shorted out, said Nate Taggart, a spokesman for the Weber School District.
One classroom sustained significant water damage and an adjoining classroom had minimal damage.
The school year began for Weber School District students on Wednesday but the school was empty when the blaze broke out and there were no injuries.
The school has 480 pupils.
Taggart said the school’s fire alarm and sprinkler system functioned properly and firefighters responded quickly, which prevented the blaze from spreading.
"Everything went the way it was suppose to," he said.
Ted Black, fire marshal for the Weber Fire District, said firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof of the school to extinguish the blaze in an attic area of the structure.
Mike Geilmann, West Weber Elementary’s principal, said the exact extent of damage to the school was not yet clear Friday evening, but added the school will be ready for classes on Monday, although students from the damaged classroom may have to be moved to another part of the building.
Several teachers and students gathered at the school to watch firefighters extinguish the blaze.
Two third grade teachers, whose classrooms were damaged, hugged each other in a parking lot outside of the school and were comforted by Geilmann.
Teresa Thompson, who lives about a block away from West Weber Elementary and is a substitute worker in the school’s front office, said she heard the school’s fire alarm go off and went to the school. She saw smoke coming from the buidling and called 911.
"It’s scary," she said.
Firefighters from the Weber Fire District, Roy and Ogden fire departments responded to the call.
FARR WEST — Firefighters from three departments responded to a fire at West Weber Elementary School, 4178 W 900 South, shortly after 7 p.m.
Ted Black, fire marshal for the Weber Fire District, said the fire started inside the building.
Firefighters cut a hole in the roof of the school to extinguish the blaze in an attic area of the structure.
Mike Geilmann, the school’s principal, said it appears an exhaust fan in one of the classrooms may have set some decking in the attic on fire.
Geilmann said everything worked as it was supposed to when the alarm went off, with the alarm company notifying the fire department and school personnel.
Extent of damage to the school was not yet clear Friday evening, but Geilmann said school officials believe the building will be ready for classes on Monday, although students from that particular classroom may have to be moved to another part of the building.
Firefighters from Weber, Roy and Ogden fire departments responded to the call.
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