TOPSHAM
Mt. Ararat High School was evacuated Wednesday morning after someone set off a firecracker in a bathroom.
Topsham Fire Chief Brian Stockdale said there was no fire, damage or injury and that the incident was turned over to Topsham police for investigation.
Principal Donna Brunette posted a notice about the incident on the high school’s website, stating that the building had to be evacuated at around 9:20 a.m., “after a teacher reported a concern and an odor in a restroom on the second floor.”
She said the fire alarm was pulled by a staff member in keeping with school protocol. She confirmed the state fire marshal’s office was contacted.
Brunette said students and staff were outside the building for approximately 15 minutes before the fire department confirmed it was safe to go back inside.
The investigation confirmed that a firecracker had been lit in the restroom.
“The individual responsible has been identified and appropriate actions are being taken to address the behavior,” she wrote.
In addition to the note posted on the school’s home page, Brunette said she communicated with students and staff over the intercom and also emailed staff regarding the situation. She planned to send out an email to parents Wednesday afternoon.
“Any situation that could put members of our community at risk are taken seriously,” she wrote in an email to The Times Record. “The disruption to learning is also a primary concern. We were able to quickly confirm that it was safe to resume classes so students and staff did return to class and an announcement was made so they knew there was an issue in the bathroom and that the fire department had confirmed that it was safe to occupy the building.”
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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