Lake of Bays school fire after items put on stove turned element on

LAKE OF BAYS — Students were evacuated from an elementary school here this afternoon, after a box left on a stove turned the element on causing a fire.

The Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department responded to a reported fire in the kitchen at Irwin Memorial Public School in Dwight Wednesday afternoon just after 1 p.m.

They said the fire was cause by combustibles place on the stove.

When crews from Station 20 and 30 arrived, the fire had been extinguished.

Fire crews checked the area for any extension and ventilated smoke from the building.

The control for a stovetop element was accidentally activated when boxes were placed on top of the stove.

Staff discovered the fire and used a fire extinguisher to extinguish it.

There was no damage to the area.

Students were allowed back into the building once the smoke was cleared.

The Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department recommends that you keep utensils, cloths, paper towels and anything that burns a safe distance from the stove.