Firetrucks dispatched to P-O middle school

A glitch in the sprinkler system at Philipsburg-Osceola Area Middle School is something the district plans to look into for the new year, district administration said.

On Tuesday night, three Philipsburg-area fire companies responded to Philipsburg-Osceola Area Middle School in Chester Hill, Clearfield County, for a report of a structure fire.

However no fire actually broke out, according to district and fire officials.

Superintendent Gregg Paladina said construction crews were working Tuesday afternoon on the sewage system at the middle school.

The crew apparently had a heater system running that was located near a sprinkler.

Paladina said the heater melted the sprinkler head, which caused the sprinkler system in the school to trigger, and caused the backup generator to kick on.

Diesel from the generator then caused smoke, which was visible to neighbors, he added.

“We’re going to have to look at the proximity of the shower head to the heater because this will happen again,” Paladina said. “We’re just lucky we didn’t have any mechanical problems, or no one was electrocuted.”

Columbia Fire Company, of Osceola Mills, Chester Hill Hose Company and one fire company from Philipsburg Fire Department responded to the scene about 11 p.m., and left just before 1 a.m., Paladina said.

“When the sprinklers went off, it flooded some of the school, but there is no water damage to report,” Paladina said.

A cleanup crew Wednesday morning was able to get the school back in shape. By the afternoon, community groups from the YMCA were using the school, Paladina said.

“If you look at the school right now, you’d never know we had a problem,” Paladina said. “Everything is cleaned up and in shape for use, and for school to start normally.”

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Firetrucks dispatched to P-O middle school."