Smoke cancels classes at PFHS

POST FALLS - At first, Wayne Hunt, like many students, thought it was just another fire drill.

But then the smell gave it away.

A dryer fire in a utility room adjacent to The Arena at Post Falls High on Tuesday caused smoke throughout the school just before first period and classes for the day were canceled as a result.

While there have been lockdowns in recent years, it is believed to be the first evacuation for a Post Falls School District building due to a real event in at least 25 years, school officials said. No one was injured or treated for smoke inhalation.

"There's always snow days, but this never happens," Hunt said of the day off due to smoke. "A lot of people thought it was a fire drill at first, then you could smell the smoke."

Classes for the school of 1,550 students will resume this morning.

The utility room received minor damage, said Jim Lyon, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue spokesman.

The fire was mostly contained to the dryer, which had been running with clothing inside.

"The cause of the fire was determined to be from lint catching on fire which had built up over time in areas not protected by the filter system of the dryer," Lyon said.

School Superintendent Jerry Keane said Tuesday at Post Falls High was considered an emergency closure just like a snow day.

"As a matter of precaution, students were sent home," Keane said.

Post Falls schools can have three such closures during the year without having to make up time at the end of the year. Tuesday was Post Falls High's second emergency closure this year. It, along with the district's other schools, closed for a day in November after a snow storm.

Tuesday's fire was reported at 7:47 a.m. as students were in the halls headed to their first class.

A school employee attempted to put out the fire using extinguishers before firefighters arrived, but was unsuccessful and exited.

A sprinkler behind the dryer went off and that, coupled with it being a concrete and metal room, prevented the fire from spreading, Lyon said.

"The sprinkler aided in controlling the fire, but did not extinguish it," Lyon said.

Water that spread to the gym floor was quickly diverted to a locker room to avoid damage.

Students who were on the west end of the school were evacuated to nearby Prairie View Elementary, while those on the east side went to Real Life Ministries. They were allowed inside the buildings to stay warm during freezing temperatures until their bus arrived or other connections were made.

Those who drove to school were allowed back inside the school after it was deemed safe if they needed to retrieve their vehicle keys or other necessary belongings.

"It was definitely chaotic for awhile," student Katie King said. "It was right before school, some people were running late, and a lot of people had no clue what was going on."

Police, fire and school personnel believed the evacuation plan, while rarely utilized due to an actual event, was executed well by staff and students.

"When you're talking about this many students, we're so pleased with how our community responded," Keane said. "The students were respectful of the situation, and staff did a great job overseeing them from beginning to end."