Mesquite Fire Rescue responded to the Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite Tuesday evening, April 5 at 9:12 p.m. to a report of a general fire alarm.  Initial arriving crews found the fire alarm panel showing smoke and water flow alarms in the gym.  School staff that had arrived reported that there was smoke in the gym.  With such a large structure and six personnel mutual aid was immediately requested from Beaver Dam and Bunkerville Fire Departments.

The initial entry team found a pile of rags smoldering in a janitor’s closet.  The fire had thankfully been held in check by the building’s properly operating fire sprinklers and there was no fire damage to the building.  Fire crews were able to quickly remove the smoldering material and stop the flow of water to limit the damage to the building.

Maintenance staff were able to utilize existing floor cleaners to remove the standing water from the gym and locker room areas.  There should be minimal impact to school operations for classes going forward. “Our crews on-scene did a good job in mitigating the incident,” said Chief Kash Christopher, who was the Incident Commander, “but Ralph Alario, my Fire Prevention Bureau Inspector, deserves a lot of credit. He has inspected the area schools frequently and has taken the three department shifts through the nuances of the buildings.  It paid off last night.”

Christopher went on to praise Alario, a retired Deputy Chief from Fitchburg Massachusetts. “Ralph is strictly by the book.  If there’s an issue, he’ll ensure you get it resolved ASAP.  He’s also a part time inspector, but he does put the time in at all hours of the day.  He’s an asset.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.