(Atlantic) Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber and Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel held a press conference this afternoon regarding the fire at the Atlantic Middle School that occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
Steve Barber says the building received significant water damage, and as soon as the mitigation proposals come in, work will begin immediately. Barber says the classrooms on the south end of the structure, the gymnasium, and the auditorium sustained minimal damage. He says the good news is, the water stayed within the terrazzo, which also extends three to four inches vertically along the walls. “We’re hopeful the structure of the building plus the terrazzo prevented structural damage to the walls,” said Barber. “But we do have water on the floors, on the carpet, and fallen ceiling tiles. We’re hopeful the gymnasium didn’t sustain any damage because that would be an expensive fix.”
Barber says it’s too early to tell if any or part of the building will be available for classrooms when school starts on August 23. The middle school houses grades 6th, 7th, and 8th, with approximately 100-110 students per class.
Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel says the fire started at around 12:37 p.m. He arrived at the scene at 12:39 p.m. and saw smoke and flames coming from the roof on the north end of the building. He says the damage to the roof is confined to about a 100-sq. foot x 50 sq. ft. section. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the damage to the interior of the building continues to be assessed.
