Several crews responded to a fire in the chemistry room of the Vermillion High School early Thursday morning.
Vermillion Fire Chief Matt Callahan says that on Thursday morning just after 6:30, the Vermillion Fire Department responded to an activated fire alarm at the Vermillion High School.
Shortly after the alarm was automatically activated at the school, a custodian in the building noticed smoke in the hallway and called 911. Vermillion Fire and EMS units were dispatched and a working fire response was activated. Units arrived on scene and fire personnel advanced hose lines, identified smoke in the hallways, and located a small fire in the chemistry room storage area. The small fire was promptly extinguished with less than 100 gallons of water. Fire personnel then began to ventilate the area. Due to the location of the fire and chemicals involved, fire command requested assistance from the Sioux Falls Fire hazardous materials team.
Callahan says that a custodian and a small number of students were the only occupants of the building at the time of the fire. All occupants safely evacuated the building immediately after the alarm sounded. There was no civilian or first responder injuries during the incident. The chemistry classroom and the chemistry storage area suffered extensive smoke damage. Some nearby hallways and classrooms suffered minor smoke damage. All school protocols were followed and worked as intended.
Classes at Vermillion High School have been canceled for the day. Extracurricular activities have not been suspended at this time.
Callahan says they are still investigating the cause of the fire.
