Fire Department

Firefighters were called to Hawthorne Elementary School Friday morning for a small fire discovered inside a classroom. The fire was caught early, and nobody was injured.

A class was passing through the hallway when students noticed smoke inside one of the classrooms and reported it to their teacher. She went into the room, found the small fire, and activated the school’s fire alarm. As she and her class evacuated the school, another teacher entered the classroom and put out the fire with the assistance of a custodian.

Several staff members met Engine Company 3 upon their arrival and stated they believed the fire was out.  They directed firefighters to the classroom where the teacher and custodian used a dry chemical extinguisher to put out the fire. Firefighters and the custodian set up fans to ventilate the classroom and hallway. The building was cleared of smoke and dry chemical dust within 10-15 minutes.

Camera footage revealed the fire was started by a student, who later admitted to starting the fire. He has been referred to the Madison Fire Department’s Juvenile Fire Setter Program, which works with first-time fire setters to educate them about the dangers of fire play. Using an educational approach, the program aims to prevent further fire setting activities and ultimately keep youths out of the criminal justice system.