Crews respond to Wednesday night electrical fire at St. John’s High School

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Firefighters responded to a Wednesday night electrical fire at St. John’s High School.

Fire crews from multiple agencies responded to the high school shortly after 11:00 p.m. after Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch received notification regarding an automatic fire alarm.

No smoke or fire was visible from outside when firefighters arrived; however, they said smoke was discovered in the school’s lobby once they entered the building.

“Firefighters searched the front office area and discovered smoke venting from an enclosed office, entered, and quickly extinguished the fire,” said Michael Julazadeh, Chief Fire Marshal for the Charleston Fire Department. “Crews then searched for fire extension and ventilated to remove smoke from the building.”

Investigators determined that the fire started within the office in an area that contained multiple electronic devices. A specific reason is currently unknown, but officials say the cause appears to be related to an electrical failure.

No injuries were reported. The school was moved to eLearning on Thursday while the school worked to clean up damage caused by the fire.

“The fire was extinguished and contained to the main office. We anticipate that students will be able to return to the building tomorrow,” said school leaders. An open house scheduled for Thursday evening is canceled.

Charleston, Johns Island, and James Island Fire Departments responded to the incident.