Oxford News

FRANKLIN — While students and teachers evacuated Franklin High School today, Oct. 1, after a fire broke out, one teacher decided to try to combat the flames himself.

Steve Woods, a gym teacher at the high school, said he was teaching a class of about 25 students around 9:30 a.m. when the smell of smoke began filtering into the gymnasium. Woods followed the odor to the boiler room where he discovered the fire.

The teacher immediately sent students to the office to alert administrators then grabbed a portable extinguisher and began trying to control the flames as alarms rang out.

"I just thought that we had to stall this thing until the fire crews arrived," Woods said.

The move apparently worked as fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire and spent most of their time airing out the smoke in the building before allowing students and staff back inside around 11 a.m., said Lt. Mike Perry of the Franklin Fire Department.

The fire appears to have originated from a dryer inside the boiler room, Perry said. Woods was checked by emergency crews for smoke inhalation and released on scene. No injuries were reported.

There are no estimates yet on the damages, Perry said.

Overall, the evacuation of the school's 800 students went well, said Principal Dave Reigel.

"The kids handled it all very well," he said. "We appreciate their patience and their cooperation."

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.