May 13, 2022, 1:30PM 

Today is Friday, May 13. This is a follow-up message about the fire at Crestview Heights School. 

Early this morning, May 13, there was a small fire at Crestview Heights School. An electric motor in the pump room that runs the fire suppression booster pump caught on fire. This is the pump that runs the fire suppression system in the school, more commonly understood as the fire sprinklers. The electric motor and pump for the sprinkler system are no longer operational and will need to be replaced. The cause of the electrical fire is unknown and under investigation by the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. 

Although the sprinkler system is not currently operational, the main fire alarm system was not damaged and is still fully functioning. This means that the smoke detectors in Crestview, along with the fire alarms will still work if smoke or fire is detected. This is great news because it means we can have school safely, knowing that if there is a fire at school, the alarm system will sound, we will evacuate the building like we do in our monthly fire drills, and the fire department will be alerted as usual when the alarm is activated. 

Throughout the day, our school administrators have been working closely with Central Coast Fire & Rescue, the  Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office, and our school district Facilities Team. 

At about 9:00 a.m. the State Fire Marshal told us the school was safe and gave us the all-clear to bring staff back into the building. They also gave us written confirmation that it is safe to occupy the building and conduct normal business. 

The Oregon State Fire Marshal has directed us to establish a 24-hour “Fire Watch” as required by Oregon Fire  Code until the pump is repaired, replaced, or a temporary pump is installed and inspected by a qualified fire pump electrician and pump technician. School Administration, District Personnel, and the Fire Marshal developed a Fire Watch plan and began implementation immediately. This will provide an extra measure of safety while waiting on a replacement pump. Our Facilities Team is working with vendors to determine timing on replacing the pump or getting a temporary pump installed while waiting for a permanent replacement. This is still in process. 

We are happy to report that school will resume Monday as usual! 

We understand that canceling school today can be a hardship for our students and on our parents/guardians and the businesses where they work. Thank you for understanding while we worked to resolve the situation. 

We are grateful to the Central Coast Fire & Rescue, Yachats Fire & Rescue, Seal Rock Fire & Rescue, and the  Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office for their amazing support this morning and throughout the day. 

We’ll see everyone in school Monday!