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Firefighters KO two-alarm blaze at Bear Creek High School

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 22, 2008 at 12:15 p.m.
Updated April 22, 2008 at 2:45 p.m.

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Tyler Bruntzel, 17, left, looks as Stazia Jackson, 17, points at a crack in the wall after a fire at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood today. Classes were cancelled for the day.

Photo by Chris Schneider © The Rocky

Tyler Bruntzel, 17, left, looks as Stazia Jackson, 17, points at a crack in the wall after a fire at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood today. Classes were cancelled for the day.

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Firefighters today doused a blaze that broke out in the small gym of Bear Creek High School shortly after noon.

Students and staff got out safely.

"There were some hairy moments," West Metro Fire Rescue spokeswoman Cindy Matthews said of the fire that could be seen by firefighters when they were still three blocks away.

"We were having a little difficulty identifying the location of some of our firefighters, but we've since found that everyone is accounted for."

She said it was a good thing that West Metro almost immediately made it a two-alarm fire because by the time the second crew arrived, the first crew already needed a break because of battling all the smoke and flames.

There are no reports yet on how the fire at the school at 3490 S. Kipling St. may have started. Workers are constructing a new high school to replace the aging Bear Creek.

Students were released for today, and buses were leaving from the school's south parking lot.

Firefighters are working on ventilating to clear the smoke, Matthews said. "And we're trying to silence the alarm so when our guys go in for cleanup they won't have the alarm going."

Just a year ago, Bear Creek students missed several days of classes because a fire broke out in an art room on a Saturday night and spread to another classroom. Three classrooms had smoke or water damage before the fire was doused.

In that fire, there was extensive damage to the electric, heating and air-conditioning systems.

The $31.2 million Bear Creek High School now under construction was approved by Jefferson County voters in 2004 as part of a $324 million bond issue.

It's scheduled to open in August 2009.

If you have photos or other information about today's fire, please e-mail photoed@rockymountainnews.com

Comments

  • April 22, 2008

    1:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jeff writes:

    Senior prank gone awry?

  • April 22, 2008

    1:59 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Bebop writes:

    Actually, it was electrical. I go to that school, and that's what we were told by the large majority of teachers and security. It was bad enough that the gym roof was in danger of collapsing, or so I was informed.

  • April 22, 2008

    2:55 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mikkosgirl writes:

    I graduated last year from BC. I remember when the art hall caught fire, and then two weeks ago when there was another fire, and now this one. Its going to be interesting to see what happens with ACTs. They were scheduled for tomorrow... Oh well. My sister called me laughing, saying the school was on fire- again. We now have six displaced kids at home.

    It's going to be good when they just tear it down and rebuild. All the prom decorations went up in smoke- and proms next week. and the layout out the school is where the gym is right in front,, the main part. What are they going to do? Use temps for all 2,000 students?

  • April 22, 2008

    3:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    Aluminum wiring per chance?

    Scott

  • April 22, 2008

    4:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mytoocents writes:

    I spoke with one of the first responders. He's thinking it may be arson but they haven't even begun to investigate. So who knows.