Small fire at Kennydale Elementary School caused by fish tank filter

Published 12:35 pm Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Renton School District officials are cleaning up today following a small fire last night at Kennydale Elementary School.

According to Deputy Chief Erik Wallgren, Renton firefighters received an automatic fire alarm at around midnight and arrived on the scene to find smoke and fire in a second-floor classroom.

The fire was confined to a single classroom, thanks to sprinkler systems installed in the school, according to Wallgren. In total, firefighters were at the school for about an hour.

“The detection systems worked the way they were designed to work … so that helped limit the damage to the building,” Wallgren said.

Wallgren said a fish tank filter is believed to be where the fire originated. He estimated about $80,000 in smoke and water damage.

Summer school at Kennydale is back in session today, Tuesday. According to District Spokesman Randy Matheson, there are enough classrooms available at the school to continue offering summer school to the approximately 100 students from Kennydale and Maplewood Heights elementary schools presently taking classes.

Clean-up crews are on site and the school will be ready to open when classes begin throughout the district on Sept. 2.