BATTLE CREEK, MI (WTVB) – Nearly $45,000 worth of damage was done to the Calhoun Area Career Center when a fire broke out Tuesday morning, but Battle Creek Fire Chief David Schmaltz said a fast response and quick fire control saved over a million dollars in property and contents.
A fire was reported just before 4:00 a.m. in the auto shop’s tool storage area which was locked. Fire crews saw smoke coming from the back of the structure on the roof when they arrived.
Sprinklers were going off but the area of the fire was not being reached.
The building had to be ventilated to get the smoke out of the school. The school had to be shut down for the day so that the sprinkler system could be placed back in service.
The building filled up with smoke from the plastic that was on fire and there were concerns the smoke had toxins in it. No injuries were reported.
