A fire erupted in the Performing Art Center’s (PAC) control booth, filling the booth with smoke and forcing students in the theater to evacuate at 4:20 p.m. on Friday.
Three staff members who responded to the fire went to the hospital as a precaution, Principal Karl Losekoot wrote in a ParentSquare message to parents and staff that evening. “In an abundance of caution and given the smoke present in the control booth, three staff members who responded immediately did go to the hospital to get checked out,” Losekoot said. No students were harmed.
At the time of the fire, cast and crew for M-A Drama’s upcoming production of “Come From Away” had gathered in the PAC theater to watch a Broadway rendition of the play. In honor of the musical’s plot, which follows those affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the group met on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.
The fire, which quickly triggered the theater’s alarms, was caused by the unprompted ignition of lithium-ion batteries charging in the booth above the PAC theater.
“We all thought it was a false alarm,” junior Henrique Carvalho said. “And then we all turn around, and there’s just a fire coming straight out of the booth. We were very shocked.”
“Some people were recording, but most people just tried to get out of there fast,” Carvalho said. As the group of students evacuated, Performing Arts Theater Manager Aaron Grinstead quickly responded to the crisis, putting out the lithium fire using a fire extinguisher from the building. Drama and Stagecraft teacher Danette Bathauer then dialed 911 and alerted local authorities.
Emotions and rumors swirled in the group of students outside. “[People] gathered around in their social groups, whispering, ‘Oh, my God, what’s gonna happen now?’” freshman Omaha Muriello said.
In under five minutes, police arrived, soon to be supported by six fire engines along with ambulances. With the fire already extinguished, the real damage came from the toxic fumes created by the lithium-based fire. Following the incident, nobody has been allowed to enter the PAC. “The fumes [may still be] in the ducts,” Bathauer said.
Rehearsals for the production of “Come From Away” were planned to start this week, but are now unable to take place in the theater, and will instead occur in the Drama room or outside the PAC. Plans for opening night of the production remain unchanged.
