Small fire at high school

Students evacuated Ratihén:te High School after a small fire in the kitchen on Thursday afternoon.

Oka fire chief Sylvain Johnson said the brief fire was caused by a plastic coffee pot handle melting on the stovetop.

A school staff member quickly put the fire out by turning the stove off, covering the burning pot handle with a damp towel and putting the pot into a cold oven.

While the fire had been extinguished, the school still had to inform the fire department of the incident, who came to the school to confirm the school was safe for re-entry.

“The students were calm and exited in an orderly fashion,” said Kimberly Simon, principal of the high school. Students and some staff stayed at the Kanesatake Health Centre before being admitted back to the school.

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