[Press Release] : Rubbish fire causes school evacuation in northeast Columbia

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Chief Gary L. Warren Jr. - (573) 499-7035 

Rubbish fire causes school evacuation in northeast Columbia

COLUMBIA, MO (January 23, 2008) - Around 2:33 p.m. today at 4000 Derby
Ridge Dr., Derby Ridge Elementary School was evacuated because of a
rubbish fire in a trash can located in the boys' restroom near the main
office. 

Units of the Columbia Fire Department responded and arrived in about
four minutes to find that the school had already been evacuated and the
fire already put out by school staff members using a fire extinguisher.
Firefighters did remain on the scene, however, to remove the smoke from
the main hall with electric fans (from a ladder truck on the scene). 

A student and a teacher first noticed smoke coming from the boys'
restroom around 2:30 p.m. The teacher quickly notified the office and
assisted in extinguishing the small fire while a school administrator
activated a pull station to set off an audible alarm. The audible alarm
was the notification which prompted teachers to execute their escape
plan. Assistant Principal Tina Windett mentioned that the school had
just practiced the escape plan a week and a half ago.

The fire remains under investigation and no cause or dollar loss
estimates have been determined. No structural damage occurred to the
restroom or the trash can (that had the rubbish in it) and no one was
injured during this incident.

- 30 -
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