Bathroom fire at Bonnie Branch Middle in Ellicott City causes evacuation, no injuries
No one was hurt Wednesday morning when a small fire broke out inside a bathroom at Bonnie Branch Middle School in Ellicott City, according to a statement from the Howard County Public School System.
The fire started and was contained in a bathroom inside the school. Staff put out the fire using a fire extinguisher before Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services personnel arrived, said Samantha Stanton, a public information officer with the fire department.
Firefighters ventilated the area of any smoke and ensured the building was safe for students to return, Stanton said.
Emergency personnel responded to the call at about 8:45 a.m., Stanton said, and the building was deemed safe for students and staff to return by 9:37 a.m., according to the school system.
Only one area in the bathroom is believed to have been affected, Stanton said, and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Howard County Office of the Fire Marshal.
The middle school, at 4979 Ilchester Road, opened in 1999 and enrolls about 682 students, according to the school system’s website.
Classes and school activities have resumed, according to the school system, and after-school activities will proceed as scheduled.