Fairhaven school cancelled for 3 days following fire in the art room, officials say

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — Students will not be returning to one Fairhaven school until Thursday following a fire over the weekend.

Crews responding to a box alarm at East Fairhaven Elementary School just before 7:30 p.m. on Sunday found a small fire in the art room, according to district officials.

A spokesperson for Fairhaven Public Schools said the fire was extinguished quickly enough that the sprinkler system did not engage and damage was contained to one section of the wall near an outlet. Investigators say the fire was caused by a double fan that likely had an internal wire malfunction.

Due to the smoke and soot that needed to be cleared from the second floor, the school department says they made the decision to cancel school for Monday.

After completing an inventory of the damage with ServPro, a restoration company, administrators canceled school at East Fairhaven for Tuesday and Wednesday to properly clean all the soot and smoke damage.

Superintendent Tara Kohler says she notified parents of the cancellations.

“We thank the Fairhaven Fire Department for their swift response and support,” Superintendent Kohler said.

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