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Date: 5/31/2022
NORTHAMPTON – On May 23, an accidental fire most likely started when the exhaust of a riding lawnmower came into contact with combustible materials caused damage to the “E’ building at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.
“Now that we’re in yardwork season, this incident is a good reminder that lawnmowers and other gasoline-powered machinery can get hot enough to start a fire,” said Northampton Fire Chief Jon Davine. “The combination of high temperatures and flammable vapors make fire safety a priority when using lawnmowers, chainsaws, and power equipment.”
Davine told Reminder Publishing that the fire was discovered just after 2 p.m. on May 23, when Northampton firefighters were delivering fire extinguishers to the school. The fire progressed to two alarms, causing significant damage throughout the building. The origin and cause of the fire were investigated by the Northampton Fire Department, Northampton Police Department and State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. They determined that the fire began in a garage bay housing vehicles and power equipment. They also learned that a riding lawnmower had been in use a short time earlier, and that it had been backed in against a rear wall where rags, tarps and other combustible items were stored.
Mutual aid companies from Amherst, Easthampton, Hadley, Hatfield, Holyoke, South Deerfield, Whately, Williamsburg and South County Emergency Medical Services were also called to the scene. Crews battled the fire for almost two hours.
According to Davine, Building “E,” which houses the school’s horticulture classes, will have to be closed for the rest of the school year, at least. The damages to the building, meanwhile, could cost up to $400,000 in repairs.
In the meantime, those classes will be moved to other parts of campus, including the library, empty classes and other vacant rooms will house students and teachers for the rest of the year. Students, teachers and faculty safely evacuated the school during the fire, which happened right around dismissal time, and no individuals were injured. Mowers, tractors, leaf blowers and other equipment were destroyed, however.
The fire occurred less than 24 hours after severe thunderstorms with strong winds ripped through Northampton, causing damage in certain areas across the city.
According to Davine, Northampton Fire Rescue responded to over 20 calls in a two-hour span during the night of the storm, many of which dealt with trees on people’s houses, on power lines and across roads.
Additionally, part of the roof at Smith Vocational was blown off, and the new pavilion behind Miss Florence Diner was structurally damaged.
“It looks like one of the buildings at Smith Vocational lost a section of its roof but there was no damage to the interior of the building,” Davine said.
Smith Superintendent Andrew Linkenhoker said that the damage was “nothing extreme,” aside from some water that entered the building during the thunderstorm. Classes still resumed session the day after, though the classes taught in that particular side of the building – including manufacturing, carpentry and cabinetry, electrical, art, Spanish and special education – were relocated to different parts of the campus for the first couple days of the week.
“We are working on getting the repairs, and we are hoping to have that building accessible to our classrooms and shops by the middle of this week,” Linkenhoker told Reminder Publishing, on May 23. “We’ll be displaced for a couple of days, but nothing overly major.”
Linkenhoker added that repairs began last week on the roof, while some classes were conducted outdoors or in the library, as short-term alternatives.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post to the community, Miss Florence Diner and JJ’s Tavern said that the microburst thunderstorm caused damage to their outdoor pavilion. The businesses said they will not let anyone in that outside area until repairs are made. “We expect these repairs to be completed this week and we will make an announcement when it’s safe to continue service outside,” the May 23 announcement read.
Reminder Publishing will have more updates if any arise.