Oconto High School students will attend classes at Oconto Middle School temporarily, after a fire that started in the men’s bathroom April 16 caused extensive smoke damage at the high school.
The cause of the fire, which resulted in $5 million of damage, is under investigation by the Oconto fire and police departments.
Oconto Fire Chief Jack Mlnarik said security tapes were reviewed, and students and staff members were interviewed.
“Everybody is jumping to the conclusion that it’s a student (who set the fire), and that may be, but I’m neither confirming nor denying that,” Mlnarik said. “I’m just making sure we have every aspect covered.”
The high school, 1717 Superior Ave., is scheduled to reopen May 12. About 300 students are enrolled at the high school, with about 250 students at the middle school.
Meanwhile, the cleaning crews from Ohio-based Paul Davis National, which also has a Milwaukee office, work around the clock.
At Monday’s School Board meeting, J. Murphy, of Paul Davis National, explained the extent of the cleanup at the 130,000 square-foot building. According to Murphy, 130 workers are in the building during the day, with 60 to 100 at night.
“Everything gets touched. Every square inch of that building is going to be cleaned,” he said.
He said soot and contaminants rest on every surface. Workers clean and pack items and neutralize the odor. Items are boxed and placed in the 17 semi-trailers parked at the school.
“Every piece of paper, every book, everything is packed out of every room and taken out of the building and put in trailers,” he said.
About a week before the school reopens, the items will be returned to their original places, he said.
The tech ed department of the high school reopened on Tuesday. Students will be bused from the middle school and enter the department through a back door. The department is sealed off from the remainder of the school, where cleanup work continues.
The high school students and staff evacuated the school on Wednesday, April 16, and were transported to the middle school before being sent home. Classes were canceled on Thursday, and Friday was a scheduled day off for Good Friday. Students will not be required to make up the time they missed.
According to a news release from Mlnarik, thick, black smoke could be seen exiting from the doors on the northeast side of the building when firefighters arrived about 9 a.m. Once inside, the firefighters met heavy, black smoke in the hallways and high heat and black smoke in the bathroom where the fire originated.
Mlnarik said the partitions in the bathroom were made of a plastic composite material, and when they burned, it caused high heat and thick, black smoke. Firefighters knocked down the fire within minutes, containing the fire damage to the bathroom and ceiling above.
Fire and water damage was contained to the bathroom and adjoining classrooms, according to Mlnarik. No structural damage was reported, although the school sustained a significant amount of smoke damage because a ventilation system spread the smoke throughout the building. The school’s insurance will cover the damage costs.
Damage could have been minimized if the school had a more modern ventilation system with an automatic shut-off or if it had a sprinkler system, Murphy said. The school also did not have a smoke detector in the bathroom.
Firefighters were at the scene for three hours, completing cleanup and helping staff and students retrieve keys and personal items.
Oconto Falls and Pensaukee fire departments assisted the Oconto firefighters. More than 20 firefighters responded.
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